Van Leeuwen Ice Cream usually draws customers with gourmet takes on classics like vanilla and pistachio. But occasionally, the artisanal ice cream maker headquartered in New York slips in what it calls a 害羞草研究所渟hock flavor,害羞草研究所� like Hidden Valley Ranch or pizza.

Surprising flavor combinations 害羞草研究所� think gravy-flavored Jones Soda or Sour Patch Kids Oreos 害羞草研究所� are showing up more frequently in grocery stores and restaurant chains.

Hershey recently introduced pink lemonade-flavored Kit Kats, while IHOP and Lay害羞草研究所檚 brought out Rooty Tooty Fresh n害羞草研究所� Fruity potato chips, designed to taste like strawberry-topped pancakes with a hint of bacon. In the United Kingdom, Little Moons made fish-and-chips mochi ice cream in 2021, while potato chip brand Walkers is known to celebrate Christmas with a Brussels sprout-flavored edition.

Usually, these are limited-time flavors, although occasionally they害羞草研究所檙e so popular they wind up on store shelves permanently, as Lay害羞草研究所檚 Flamin害羞草研究所� Hot Dill Pickle chips did in 2019.

While it害羞草研究所檚 tempting to pass them off as social media stunts, experts say there害羞草研究所檚 more to the story. Food companies are responding to the changing and expanding tastes of consumers while also trying to keep brands relevant and distinct to win space on crowded store shelves.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e in a really exciting time of flavor development where consumers are not just one thing. You害羞草研究所檙e not just a sour lover or a sweet lover. You want a little of this and a little of that,害羞草研究所� said Kristen Braun, the senior brand manager for Oreo innovation at Chicago-based food and beverage company Mondelez International. 害羞草研究所淐ompanies are finding the freedom to explore a little bit more and get more creative.害羞草研究所�

Sour Patch Kids Oreos 害羞草研究所� vanilla cream-filled cookies speckled with colorful bites of the sour candies 害羞草研究所� are one of about a dozen limited-edition Oreo flavors that Mondelez plans to release this year. Braun said it takes the company one or two years to develop such products, which stay on shelves for about nine weeks. She害羞草研究所檚 already thinking ahead to future flavors that blur the lines between sweet, salty and spicy.

Oddball pairings aren害羞草研究所檛 entirely new in the food and beverage industry. Hubba Bubba released a bubble gum-flavored soda in the late 1980s, for example. But manufacturers and their suppliers have gotten more sophisticated and efficient, making it easier to experiment and put out limited-editions more frequently, said Mark Lang, a food marketing expert and associate professor of marketing at the University of Tampa.

Kyle Shadix, who as the corporate executive research chef for PepsiCo, has worked on beverages like Pepsi Maple Syrup and a strawberry shortcake Pepsi sold in Japan, said the members of Generation Z are also fueling innovation. They害羞草研究所檙e diverse, adventurous and pick up on food trends quickly through social media, he said.

害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e every chef害羞草研究所檚 dream to design for,害羞草研究所� said Shadix, who is currently experimenting a lot with Mexican, Korean and Japanese flavors. 害羞草研究所淕en Z is going to drive us faster. We害羞草研究所檙e going to start to see even more exploration quicker than in the past because they害羞草研究所檙e just so open to it.害羞草研究所�

Toying with flavors can boost brands in several ways. Sometimes they bring new customers to a brand. They might also nudge buyers to pick up the original flavor, Russell Zwanka, director of the food marketing program at Western Michigan University, said.

害羞草研究所淪our Patch Oreos sound interesting, but nobody wants to risk buying Oreos that don害羞草研究所檛 taste good, so people buy both,害羞草研究所� Zwanka said.

When companies combine brands, they害羞草研究所檙e trying to build an association in consumers害羞草研究所� minds. Peeps-flavored Pepsi, which came out last year, sends the message that Pepsi is current and fun, Lang said. Mustard-flavored Skittles, which came out last summer, made the 104-year-old French害羞草研究所檚 brand seem playful.

Enter Kraft Heinz, which approached Van Leeuwen Ice Cream a few years ago about macaroni and cheese-flavored ice cream. Ben Van Leeuwen, the company害羞草研究所檚 co-founder and CEO, was doubtful at first but found that Kraft害羞草研究所檚 powder blended well with the Brooklyn-based company害羞草研究所檚 ice cream.

Van Leeuwen害羞草研究所檚 Kraft Macaroni and Cheese ice cream came out to rave reviews in 2021 and was re-released for a short time last fall.

害羞草研究所淲e will only do a shock flavor if we can make it good and distinct. We will not do a shock flavor where it害羞草研究所檚 just shock in name but taste like vanilla,害羞草研究所� Van Leeuwen said.

But novel flavor combinations don害羞草研究所檛 always work. Van Leeuwen couldn害羞草研究所檛 eat more than a few bites of his company害羞草研究所檚 Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream, which contained onion and garlic powders. And shock flavors typically don害羞草研究所檛 end up on the permanent menu because of their lower 害羞草研究所渆at-ability,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淚 think you would taste our mac and cheese and you害羞草研究所檇 say, 害羞草研究所極h, that害羞草研究所檚 good,害羞草研究所� but do you want to take a pint of that mac and cheese from your freezer when you害羞草研究所檙e watching whatever show on Netflix and eat the entire thing? Probably not,害羞草研究所� Van Leeuwen said.

Candy brand Brach害羞草研究所檚 ran into that issue with its Turkey Dinner Candy Corn, a 2021 limited-edition version of the fall staple that tasted like turkey, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, apple pie and coffee. Katie Duffy, vice president and general manager of seasonal at Ferrara Candy Co., which owns Brach害羞草研究所檚, acknowledged there was a 害羞草研究所済ross-out害羞草研究所� factor.

害羞草研究所淲e have learned from consumers that we don害羞草研究所檛 want to have something where they eat a few pieces of candy and then they toss it because there害羞草研究所檚 some things that they don害羞草研究所檛 want to repeat,害羞草研究所� Duffy said. 害羞草研究所淲e want it to be a delicious flavor journey.害羞草研究所�

Brach害羞草研究所檚 recently introduced Easter Brunch-flavored jelly beans, and they hit that mark, she said. The candy beans mimicked the flavors of blueberry maple pancakes, chocolate doughnuts, caramel cold brew, cinnamon rolls, berry smoothies and mimosa cocktails.

Shannon Weiner, senior director of insights and analytics at Ferrara, said the company closely tracks social media to see what flavors are trending. People are increasingly looking for dessert and dairy-flavored candies, she said. They害羞草研究所檙e also seeking more international flavors like Tajin, a brand of chile-lime spice from Mexico that recently did a collaboration with Pop Tarts.

Lang thinks the more time people spend in restaurants or trying out new foods, the more they seek out unusual flavors.

害羞草研究所淲e are variety-seeking animals. We constantly are seeking something new and different; it害羞草研究所檚 in our wiring,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e like to experiment.害羞草研究所�

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Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press