News

Adventurous US consumers eager for ‘swicy’ flavours

US manufacturers and marketers are tapping into the adventurer consumer persona and enhancing their products with elevated and diverse ‘swicy’ flavours.

Novel and exciting flavour combinations build on sought-after nostalgic tastes with a twist. The ‘swicy’ trend is standing out to adventure-loving consumers, with manufacturers adding spice-infused formulations to their collections. Gen Z and Millennials, who seek unique and intense flavour collabs, are particularly captive audiences for the sweet and spicy mashup trend.

‘Swicy’ is a top trend in 2024

In the US, the ‘swicy’ trend made its way into mainstream flavour profiles in hot honey products following the release of Mike’s Hot Honey in 2010. Other brands then combined sweet and spicy in the much-loved condiment.

Today, spicy formulations that pack a punchy flavour have big appeal. According to consumer behaviour insights provider Circana, dollar sales for food and beverages with “spicy” in their descriptions have risen 9% year-over-year. Furthermore, 11% of 25-to-34-year-olds enjoy bold and unexpected flavours, an increase of 7% points from 2019.

On 2nd June 2024, ‘swicy’ was described as “the hottest trend in food right now”, CNN reported. The sweet-marries-spicy trend is reaching various food and beverage segments, from savoury items like burgers, chips, and frozen pizza to more sweet varieties, including ice cream and popcorn.

In February 2024, Coca-Cola announced it was adding a new permanent flavour to its portfolio, Coca-Cola Spiced. Responding to consumer calls for bolder and punchier flavours, the move marked the beverage giant’s first mainstay new beverage flavour creation in years.

As today’s consumers seek more complex flavour profiles, ‘swicy’ offers more robust and varied options for food and beverage releases. With its roots in age-old worldwide recipes, producers are drawing upon these and mixing them with interesting global cuisines to attract consumers who love travel and exploration.

The world becoming smaller due to increased global travel, the US evolving into a more culturally diverse population, and flavour trends from the culinary and snack categories are key influences driving the ‘swicy’ trend, Hogan adds.

Media platforms enable US brands to create online experiences and share their ‘swicy’ launches with consumers around the world. Social media captures the vibrancy and diversity within food innovation, putting brands with interesting and engaging flavour profiles in front of their audiences. Targeted adverts, blogs, and ebooks on how food technologists are landing on prominent flavour profiles are also attractive avenues that give consumers access to the latest flavour developments.

Popular flavour combinations

Chilli, in particular, chipotle and Habanero are popular spices in the ‘swicy’ trend. These spice ingredients are paired with classic fruits such as lime, cherry, citrus, watermelon, raspberry and strawberry. To appeal to consumers’ love of new and exciting twists, manufacturers are also putting chilli with more trendy flavours like mango, pineapple, guava and passion fruits.

Mexican food is emerging as a formidable influence in today’s ‘swicy’ trend. Mole is an emerging ‘swicy’ flavour entering the scene. Influenced by classic Mexican culinary dishes, mole is typically a blend of cinnamon, cayenne and chilli with a hint of chocolate.

Ginger, chai, peppercorn, and turmeric are other leading spicy flavours. While these may be included in formulations to enhance the spicy flavour profile of products, they are also paired with fruits like lemon, apple, peach and coconut to boost the sweet aspect of the products’ content.

As sweet and spicy flavour mixes become more popular, ‘swicy’ launches are expanding their reach into the confectionery space.