Restaurant menus are being dominated by spicy items as Gen Z searches for heat.

• Sweet and spicy food and drinks are currently gaining popularity, with the term "Swicy" being used to describe this trend.
• According to Datassential, approximately 9% of U.S. restaurants offer "sweet and spicy" menu items.
• The latest trend of combining sweet and spicy flavors has been influenced by a more diverse population and Gen Z's preference for heat.

Sweet and spicy is the new food and drink trend this year.

Sweet and spicy flavor combinations have become increasingly popular in restaurant marketing, earning the term "Swicy" a place in the industry's lexicon. Despite not appearing on menus, the shorthand has gained traction as a way to describe the trend of blending sweet and spicy flavors. The Food Institute even declared this year the "Summer of Swicy."

Datassential's market research shows that nearly 10% of restaurant menus now feature "sweet and spicy" items, up 1.8% from the previous year. Over the next four years, the menu penetration of these items is predicted to increase by 9.6%.

Many restaurant chains are following the trend of combining fruity flavors with spicy elements, such as Shake Shack's spicy menu and Burger King's Fiery Strawberry & Sprite. Common menu items now feature hot honey and gochujang, a popular Korean condiment, as sauces.

Despite the temporary availability of the menu items, culinary experts predict that the sicy trend will endure.

Restaurants are increasingly focusing on trendy, discounted menu items to attract customers and reverse declining sales. In August, U.S. restaurant traffic fell 3.6%, the industry's second-worst monthly performance this year since January, according to Black Box Intelligence. Limited-time menu items are particularly appealing to Gen Z customers, who make up about a fifth of Americans.

The 'swicy' story

Kara Nielsen, a trendologist, suggests that the flavor pairings in the swicy portmanteau have been popular for decades, but the spice levels may have evolved over time.

Nielsen stated that he believes food is hotter now than it was 20 years ago.

In 1993, before he gained fame as a celebrity chef and Food Network star, Jeffrey Saad opened a fast-casual Mexican restaurant in San Francisco called Sweet Heat.

The popularity of the sweet and spicy flavor combination in food increased around 2010, with Mike's Hot Honey gaining popularity and Korean cuisine's gochujang sauces becoming more popular.

As a result of the pandemic, consumers have turned to traditional comfort foods such as burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and pizza. However, the demand for familiar dishes has decreased, and now customers are looking for something new or at least a change.

Nielsen stated that after four years, they are relocating and incorporating more spicy tastes.

Hadar Cohen Aviram, executive chef for the spice and flavoring company's U.S. consumer division, stated in the 2022 flavor forecast report that experts have identified a reemerging trend.

McCormick emphasized "plus sweet" when sweetness is used to enhance flavor rather than being the main attraction. The forecasters were considering naming the trend "swicy" in their report but opted for "plus sweet" because it was more comprehensive, she explained.

In the following year, McCormick, the owner of Frank's RedHot and Cholula, emphasized the importance of using other flavors to enhance the taste experience beyond just heat.

Cohen Aviram stated that many individuals desire to add heat to their meals, but they ensure that there's something for everyone on their plates.

Gen Zwicy?

One reason for the growing popularity of spicy foods and drinks among U.S. consumers is the increasing diversity of the population.

Sweet heat or spicy is everlasting because it's a crucial element in traditional global cuisines like Mexican, Thai, and Korean, which many people of those ancestries and heritages are familiar with. It gets introduced and repackaged.

According to John Karangis, the company's executive chef and vice president of culinary innovation, the culinary team was inspired to create a limited-time menu featuring Korean-inspired dishes.

Shake Shack's marketing team pitted the Korean fried chicken sandwich against the Korean BBQ burger, with savory and salty flavors. They encouraged customers to choose between team swicy or team umami.

Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, is also drawn to the spicy trend.

Nielsen stated that Generation Z is enthusiastic about intricate taste profiles, but there are limitations to the number of flavors one can taste: sweet, salty, bitter, and umami.

According to a survey by NCSolutions, over half of Gen Z consumers consider themselves "hot sauce connoisseurs."

Achieving the perfect ratio with swicy can be challenging because it's highly personal, according to McCormick's Cohen Aviram.

Feedback from Shake Shack's customers reflects that, too.

We receive positive feedback from guests, but we also heard criticism such as "You could have made it more exciting," according to Karangis.

When creating swicy concoctions, Cohen Aviram prefers a mix of 40% sweet and 60% spicy, similar to a Frank's RedHot ice cream bar.

"Sweetness can hijack your palate, so if you overuse it, you won't be able to taste the nuances," she said.

Burger King's Fiery menu, released this summer, ranked its menu items on a scale of spiciness. The least spicy item was its Fiery Strawberry & Sprite drink. This menu item was inspired by the trend of "dirty sodas," which combines soda, creamers, and syrups, originating in Utah, as stated by Pat O'Toole, Burger King North America's chief marketing officer.

Burger King's new drink is the first time it has tweaked a classic fountain beverage, but it previously introduced a Frozen Fanta Kickin' Mango with a similar swicy flavor profile.

O'Toole stated that guests can easily and accessibly try a 'swicy' beverage offering and work their way up the spice scale with other food items, if they so choose. He added that the chain saw strong interest across its focus groups for a spicy take on Sprite.

Not all spicy profiles appeal to customers. For instance, Coca-Cola discontinued its spiced Coke six months after its launch in September, despite initially planning it as a permanent product.

Although there may be some errors, the spicy combination is likely to remain popular for a time.

"The flavors will persist, no doubt. I believe the name will become repetitive. ... It likely has a few more years to run," Nielsen stated.