(NEWSnet/AP) — Van Leeuwen Ice Cream usually draws customers with gourmet takes on classics like vanilla and pistachio. Occasionally, the artisanal ice cream-maker tries a “shock flavor,” like Hidden Valley Ranch.

Surprising flavor combinations, such as gravy-flavored Jones Soda and Sour Patch Kids Oreos, are appearing more frequently in stores and restaurants.

Hershey recently introduced pink-lemonade-flavored Kit Kat. IHOP and Lay’s unleashed Rooty Tooty Fresh n’ Fruity potato chips, designed to taste like strawberry-topped pancakes with a hint of bacon.

Usually, these are limited-time flavors, but occasionally are so popular they become permanent, as Lay's Flamin' Hot Dill Pickle chips did in 2019.

Brach’s recently introduced Easter Brunch-flavored jelly beans, and those hit the mark, said Katie Duffy, vice president and general manager of seasonal at owner Ferrara Candy Co. The beans mimic the flavor of blueberry maple pancakes, chocolate doughnuts, caramel cold brew, cinnamon rolls, berry smoothies and mimosa cocktails.

Food companies are responding to expanding taste of consumers, while also trying to keep brands distinct to win space on store shelves.

“We’re in a really exciting time of flavor development where consumers are not just one thing,” said Kristen Braun, senior brand manager for Oreo innovation at Mondelez International. “You’re not just a sour lover or a sweet lover. You want a little of this and a little of that.”

Sour Patch Kids Oreos, vanilla cream-filled cookies speckled with colorful bites of the sour candy, are one of a dozen limited-edition Mondelez plans to release in 2024.

Manufacturers have gotten more sophisticated and efficient, making it easier to experiment with limited-editions more frequently, said Mark Lang, a food marketing expert and associate professor of marketing at University of Tampa.

Kyle Shadix, corporate executive research chef for PepsiCo, said members of Generation Z are fueling innovation. They're diverse, adventurous and embrace food trends  through social media, he said.

When companies combine brands, they're trying to build an association in consumers' minds. Peeps-flavored Pepsi, unveiled in 2023, sends the message that Pepsi is current and fun, said Mark Lang, food marketing expert and associate professor of marketing at University of Tampa. Mustard-flavored Skittles made the brand seem playful.

Van Leeuwen's Kraft Macaroni and Cheese ice cream got rave reviews in 2021 and was re-released for a short time in fall 2023.

A few years ago, Kraft Heinz approached Van Leeuwen about a mac-and-cheese flavor. Ben Van Leeuwen, the company’s co-founder and CEO, was skeptical, but found Kraft’s powder blends well with the company's product.

“We will only do a shock flavor if we can make it good and distinct. We will not do a shock flavor where it’s just shock in name, but taste like vanilla,” Van Leeuwen said.

Novel combinations don’t always work. Van Leeuwen couldn’t eat more than a few bites of his company’s Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream, which contained onion and garlic powder.

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

“We are variety-seeking animals. We constantly are seeking something new and different. It’s in our wiring,” he said. “We like to experiment.”

Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.

Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.