Americans redefine tastes with spice, not heat

The change shows up across the industry, from Gen Z survey data to school cafeterias to trademark filings by major snack and beverage companies. Diners still reach for chili, but they want it wrapped in smoke, tang, fruit or sweetness rather than served as a dare. The Scoville race that defined a previous cycle of viral eating has given way to something quieter and more durable.

The generation that loves spice but skips the burn

The assumption that younger diners want maximum heat does not hold up. According to Rubix Foods’ NEXT Flavor Report, 74% of Gen Z consumers prefer mild or medium heat. The report, released in November 2024, found that this generation gravitates toward what the industry calls “complex heat”: profiles that layer smoky, tangy, fruity and slightly sweet notes around a controlled amount of capsaicin. Dishes like gochujang cauliflower, where fermented chili paste delivers umami and warmth without overwhelming heat, are a case study in what that preference looks like on a plate.

Gen Z is not avoiding spice. Datassential research indicates that up to 50% of Gen Z consumers eat at least one spicy meal a week. What they have moved past is heat as a stunt, the sign-a-waiver products that dominated a previous cycle of viral eating content.

Sweet heat goes mainstream

The clearest signal of this movement is the rise of “swicy,” the portmanteau of sweet and spicy that has jumped from social media slang to corporate strategy. Frito-Lay has applied for a trademark on the term, and Coca-Cola filed to trademark “Spricy” for a potential beverage line.

Hot honey proved the category’s commercial viability. Datassential found the condiment on 11.3% of all U.S. restaurant menus, roughly 230% growth over four years, with 75% of U.S. consumers now aware of it and 48% having tried it. Retail sales of hot honey surged 157% year over year in 2025, and Tastewise trend data shows consumer conversations around sweet-and-spicy profiles grew nearly 28% in the past year.

The cafeteria test

The movement has reached school lunch trays. Chartwells K12, which operates school food programs nationwide, listed sweet heat among its top 10 food trends for 2026. The company’s menu now includes Chili Lime Watermelon Salad and Honey BBQ Sriracha Chicken Grain Bowl. When the country’s largest K-12 foodservice operators start building menus around layered spice for elementary students, the demand has moved well past early adopters.

Complexity as the new currency

The Specialty Food Association, which represents a $219 billion industry, named “SenseMaxxing” its 2026 Trend of the Year. The term describes an embrace of experiential intensity across all senses. It frames bold, multisensory food as a counterpoint to what SFA trend partner Kevin Ryan of Malachite Strategy described as spending 12 hours a day in contact with smooth, one-dimensional screens.

That framing helps explain why the flavor conversation has moved past Scoville ratings. Product launches featuring gochujang surged 120% in 2025. McCormick named black currant, a tart-sweet berry, its 2026 Flavor of the Year, alongside a forecast trend it called “Sauce from Somewhere,” centered on globally inspired condiments with depth.

An Indian dal tadka, where whole spices are tempered in hot oil to build depth, and an Ethiopian shiro wat share the same logic: complexity built through technique and layered seasoning rather than a single note of capsaicin.

Where the money is going

The hot sauce market reflects the same pattern. The global category was valued at approximately $5.7 billion in 2025, with projections to reach $8.4 billion by 2034.

Menu data shows where the heat is going: 9.4% of all menu items now incorporate spicy elements, up 9% over four years, according to Datassential. The fastest gains are in categories like pizza and bakery, where heat serves as a flavor layer rather than the point of the dish. Internal Nestlé research reported by Food Dive found that almost half of consumers said an intriguing new flavor would bring them to try a product, and pick a brand, for the first time.

Swicy-flavored products currently appear on roughly 10% of restaurant menus. That share is projected to grow by at least 9%.

Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju is a food and travel writer and a global food systems expert based in Seattle. She has lived in or traveled extensively to over 60 countries, and shares stories and recipes inspired by those travels on Urban Farmie.

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