Spice is Nice
Explore the Hottest Flavour Trend in Food & Beverage
April 2025
By Hannerie Visser – Studio H
We have seen a noticeable rise in the popularity of heat, and chilli as a flavour, in food trends. Consumers are increasingly embracing spicy flavours, and chefs, food manufacturers, and restaurants are incorporating chilli peppers and spicy elements into their offerings.
The popularity of international and regional cuisines such as Mexican, Thai, Indian and Southern Korean has introduced many people to the complex and delicious world of spicy flavours. As a result, consumers are more willing to explore and appreciate the heat and depth of flavour that chilli peppers bring to their meals, which has seen a significant rise in the past few months:
- 71% of food menus in the US feature the word ‘spicy’, as do 11% of drinks menus.
- 85% of menus feature some kind of pepper.
- Consumers have increased their hot sauce consumption more than any other condiment, with a 23% increase from 2022.
- Hot honey consumption increased by 87% over the past four years.
In 2024 the BBC did an in-depth report on why we love hot sauce so much right now titled “What’s behind our sudden love of hot sauce?” In this article they ask “Sales of hot sauce have exploded over the past year. But why now?” The journalist writes: “Visit your local supermarket’s condiment aisle and you will find a huge range of hot sauces. While a decade ago, there would have been few options, now, there’s every flavour combination you can imagine, with varieties from countries across the globe. The industry has exploded, with retailers seeing a huge growth in recent sales.”
A popular London retailer saw its hot sauce sales almost double in 2023 and Waitrose, the UK supermarket chain, says its hot sauce sales grew by 55% last year. On top of that, retail analysts Mintel reported “53% of consumers are willing to pay more for products with new and innovative flavours,” and hot sauce producers are responding to this by creating more flavoured chilli sauces.
The BBC contributed the boom in hot sauces to the popularity of YouTube show Hot Ones and also to lockdown, when people started experimenting more in the kitchen.
Hot Ones, the YouTube talk show where host Sean Evans interviews celebrities as they tackle increasingly spicy chicken wings, has become a cultural phenomenon since its debut in 2015. Over the years, the show has produced almost 400 episodes with its unique format and engaging content attracting a substantial following, with the First We Feast YouTube channel amassing 14.5 million subscribers. In December 2024, Evans and a group of investors acquired First We Feast from BuzzFeed for $82.5 million, underscoring the show’s significant popularity and cultural relevance.
Waitrose reports in their 2025 trend report that sales of hot sauces have exploded. Sriracha and gochujang, previously little known outside Thailand and Korea, are now store-cupboard staples, with sales at Waitrose rising 5% in the past 12 months. Their product developers also expect to see more and more products marrying chilli with sweeter things with hot honey definitely being the new salted caramel.
The New York Times declared in their report “How Will We Eat in 2025?” that we are going to experience a year of sauces. Sauces are one way for consumers to sample global flavours without too much commitment. We’ll see from viral vinaigrettes and peppery mayo-ketchup blends to more culinarily elevated versions of romesco, salsa macha, tzatziki, hoisin and harissa – sauces will become a global obsession.
Consumers’ love for sauces combined with their obsession with heat and an ever-increasing curiosity about global cuisines, will no doubt further stimulate the growth of heat as a trending culinary flavour.
Hannerie Visser is the founder and creative director of Studio H, a team of culinary-minded designers that specialise in food trend reporting, product innovation and experience design.
Through exploring emerging trends, SensoryFX is committed to understanding consumer motivations, allowing us to create flavours that delight and inspire.