On December 7, PANTONE unveiled PANTONE® 13-1023 Peach Fuzz as the color for 2024. Drawing inspiration from "Peach Fuzz," DSM-Firmenich announced "Peach+" as the 12th annual "Flavor of the Year" for 2024. Unlike previous years, this year's flavor introduces the novel concept of "+," emphasizing the infinite possibilities of peach. According to Emotions 360™, DSM-Firmenich's consumer study that measures consumer emotions associated with ingredients, the peach is somewhat unique in that it has many innate qualities that contrast, such as being both indulgent and pampering, but also refreshing and revitalizing, and youthful, but nostalgic. "Peach+" extends beyond traditional juicy sweetness, encouraging exploration of softer, smoother, lighter, and more refreshing textural elements. The delicate and natural qualities of "Peach+" open doors for diverse applications across multiple food and beverage industries.¹

Picture from DSM-Firmenich website

China has a 4,000-year history of peach cultivation, featuring over 400 peach varieties. In the Chinese market, peach flavor enjoys widespread consumer recognition. Insights from the 2021 Beverage Consumption Trends indicate that peach has emerged as a particularly "popular flavor". Furthermore, a report from the Shanghai Consumers Council reveals that peach-flavored beverages are the preferred choice among the Gen-Z population. As the popularity of peach flavor continues to rise, this article explores noteworthy peach-flavored categories in the Chinese food and beverage market.

Sparkling Water

In 2018, Chi Forest introduced a series of sparkling water with the innovative concept of "0 sugar, 0 fat, 0 calories." Since then, peach-flavored sparkling water has become the brand’s flagship product. Sales data from the Chi Forest Tmall flagship store indicates that sparkling water contributes to over 60% of the store's annual sales, with peach flavor dominating this category. Chi Forest notes that the refreshing peach flavor is the top choice for consumers when selecting sparkling water, with one out of every seven bottles sold being the peach flavor.

Chi Forest peach-flavored sparkling water

Ready-to-Drink Tea

The exquisite pairing of peaches with tea and various fruits has inspired numerous tea beverage brands to introduce peach-flavored fruit tea. Renowned brands such as Nongfu Spring, Master Kong, Nestlé, and Xiang Piao Piao have successively launched peach-flavored fruit tea products. Emerging tea beverage brands like Heytea and Naixue have also embraced the trend, presenting their bottled peach-flavored fruit tea offerings. Notably, in October of this year, Starbucks announced the launch of bottled fruit tea, featuring a peach-flavored oolong tea beverage among the offerings.

Ready-to-drink peach-flavored fruit tea

Freshly Made Tea Beverages and Coffee

In summer, peaches take center stage in the freshly made tea beverage industry as one of the star ingredients. Peach ingredients combine with various fruits, enhancing the sweet and sour flavor, and harmonize exceptionally well with tea bases such as oolong tea and jasmine tea. Peach also pairs seamlessly with dairy products such as milk, cheese foam, and oat milk. Brands like Heytea, Naixue, Lelecha, Good-me, and Luckin Coffee have all introduced creative peach-infused beverages.

Freshly made peach-flavored tea beverages and coffee

Various Dairy Products

Peach-flavored innovations abound in dairy drinks, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products. For example, in May of this year, KFC and Chi Forest collaborated to launch a peach soda flavor sundae. This ice cream product features a peach-colored visual, low-fat freshness, and is complemented by peach-flavored popping candy, enhancing the product's overall texture.

Various peach-flavored dairy products

In addition to the aforementioned categories, a diverse range of products including jelly, biscuits, flavored liquors, bagged tea, and oatmeal have actively embraced peach flavor. The widespread popularity of peach flavor can be credited to its exceptional taste, versatility, and health benefits, resonating with current consumer preferences. As the spotlight on peach flavor grows, brands find more opportunities but also face intensified competition.

 Disclaimer: All pictures used in the article are from the Internet.