Fermented Drinks Trending in Asia

Fermented beverages have always been popular in the West because they boost your immune system naturally. But, Eastern nations, specifically Asian countries, have discovered a taste for these delicious and healthy fermented foods and beverages recently.

Our team at AI Palette strives to advance algorithms to be able to predict emerging trends. Constantly being on top of consumer insights has aided us in discovering the top 6 prebiotic & probiotic market trends that are expected to rule the industry:

India, China and the Philippines are the fastest-growing markets for fermented beverages

Although the entirety of Asia is seeing a rise in the consumption of fermented beverages, India, China and the Philippines are leading the charge in the consumption of prebiotic and probiotic drinks. 

Fermented drinks for gut health that offer natural detox and probiotic benefits are emerging in markets that are expected to grow at a significant pace in the next few years. Natural fruit enzymes and drinks to boost immunity already have a steady market and are expected to grow bigger. 

Heritage flavours will come back into the spotlight

A very important trend that’s developing right now is that of preference for local tastes over foreign flavours. Take China, for example, where flavoured jellies are really popular. Fermented drinks like fruit enzymes are being paired with jelly in cafes and restaurants, to cater to local tastes. In particular, lychee, grape and lemon are flavours that are gaining popularity. 

Similarly, India has seen a growing preference for fermented drink recipes like a drinkable yoghurt. Flavours like black plum, mango, pineapple and turmeric (which are heritage flavours) are coming back into style. 

In the Philippines, a nation renowned globally for its love of mangoes, mango-flavoured healthy smoothies are expected to gain top preference. In addition to this, the Philippines department of health has recently allocated PHP500,000 to purchase Vitamin C supplements for school-going children across the country, to boost immunity against Covid-19. This is expected to increase the demand for Vitamin C drink supplements. 

The need for organic, healthy smoothies is expected to create demand for fresh fruit enzymes in China

Today, China is the leading annual emitter of noxious greenhouse gases and mercury. The compromised health conditions in the country are increasing demand for all-natural healthy drinks and detoxification drinks. 

Organic fruit enzymes are, in particular, favoured by the whole country with their breakfast. Here’s the expected year-on-year (YOY) growth rate of prebiotic and probiotic drinks in China: 

• Fruit Enzymes (86.7%)
• Nata de Coco (66.2%)
• Kombucha (31.1%)
• Kvass (12.7%)
• Drinking yoghurt (12.6%)

Ancient love for tea will be replaced by new-found love for Kombucha in the Indian market

In India, the burgeoning middle class is seeking healthier alternatives to replace their refreshing cup of brewed tea during mealtimes. The benefits of Kombucha have captured the nation’s imagination and it is today the fastest-growing fermented drink in India, growing at 162.2% YOY! 

Other probiotic and prebiotic drinks that are emerging as big cash cows in India are: 

• Drinkable Yoghurt/Lassi (34.8% YOY)
• Buttermilk (17.4% YOY)
• Kefir (7.9% YOY)

Better health education will be the impetus for increased demand for fermented drinks in the Philippines

The Philippines has shown an unexpected interest in cultured drinks. When it comes to drinks to improve gut health, probiotic drinks are their first choice. The drinks that have experienced the highest demand (and which are expected to continue having high demand) are: 

• Kefir (798.3% YOY)
• Kombucha (450.2% YOY)
• Drinking Yoghurt (277.6% YOY)
• Water Kefir (48.6% YOY)

Of all the three Asian countries, the Philippines has shown a few interesting Kombucha trends, such as Kombucha sparkling tea (Mango flavour) and Kombucha fresh fruit juice.

AI, ML and NLP will be used to predict changing cultured drinks preferences to get products ready for the future

The increased buy-in for cultured drinks stems from the numerous fermented drinks benefits that consumers experience. The primary benefit is that these beverages improve the health of the microflora in the gut, giving us the immunity we need against deadly pathogens. 

Overall, the global prebiotic and probiotic markets are expected to grow to $6.65 billion and $74.3 billion by 2025. A large part of this is thanks to the growth in the Asian market. But as with anything, changes in consumer taste control outcomes. 

This is how AI and Machine Learning are being leveraged to track the changing tastes of customers and using real-time insights, companies can get market-ready with the right products, ensuring quick success. 

For more details and insights into Fermented Beverage Trends in China, India, and the Philippines, read our full report here.

This article was originally published here.