Corn Drinks Suddenly Become Popular

In Seoul, South Korea, and Los Angeles, USA, a batch of coffee shops featuring corn lattes have been making waves on overseas social media platforms with their unique appearance and memorable flavor.

In September, coffee shops in multiple cities across our country have successively launched new coffee products with a corn flavor, such as corn caramel lattes, corn dirty coffees, and Maillard popcorn drinks. The popularity of these corn beverages can be attributed to three aspects.

First，innovative space is large, suitable for both tea and coffee.

Corn can be juiced or blended into a corn milk that can be incorporated into the base, enhancing the beverage’s grain aroma and creamy texture. It can also be made into corn pudding, corn jelly, or other toppings, or simply added as whole kernels to enrich the overall layers of the drink. Corn can also be used for topping creations, such as corn milk foam and corn cream toppings, which naturally come in a light yellow color. Adding “popcorn” as a decoration further enhances the appearance, making both the shape and color stand out. The aroma of corn is strong, which makes the product highly recognizable, whether in coffee or tea beverages, it has a distinct flavor presence.

Second, it comes with health benefits, aligning with the popular trends of light wellness and fruit-vegetable beverages. 

Corn is a traditional ingredient that not only enjoys a high market acceptance for its flavor but also holds a deep-rooted perception among consumers as being healthful and nourishing. Rich in dietary fiber and with a relatively low GI value, it meets the current young generation’s demand for light wellness. In addition, corn drinks provide a strong sense of fullness and are often used as meal replacements by many consumers.

Thrid, A mature supply chain enables product innovations to be easily implemented.

Compared to fresh fruits, which are significantly affected by seasons, costly and prone to damage, corn has a more mature supply chain and stable costs. With the supply chain for fresh corn kernels, NFC corn juice, and other ingredients becoming increasingly mature, both large chain brands and independent stores can now find suitable corn ingredients to make corn beverages.

With the rapid rise of new-style tea beverages, corn drinks are increasingly entering large chain stores and street-side shops, and their value is beginning to be tapped by brand enterprises. In the future, by reinforcing the concept of health and leveraging its aesthetic appeal, corn beverages may have greater development opportunities.