Speciality-Food-Magazine-September-2024

56 TRENDWATCH Sponsored by WHAT IS ‘SWICY’, EXACTLY? Swicy is simply a moreish combination of sweet and spicy and it’s everywhere; consider it 2024’s version of salted caramel. WHY’S IT TRENDING NOW? “Spicy food has become a lot more mainstream inWestern culture,” adds Nina Matsunaga, chef patron of the Black Bull in Sedbergh, Cumbria. In the UK, the spicy food trend has become more andmore popular as British consumers develop the confidence to explore warmer, hotter tastes. But for many, Nina adds, “getting used to spice is still quite hard.” Now, sweet and spicy flavour combinations are diversifying how Brits understand spice. Swicy, Tom says, is “clearly an interesting proposition for heat-seekers,” but Nina says that balancing the spice with sweet makes it more broadly palatable: “It spices food up and makes it interesting, adding a new flavour profile.” Dean Harper, chef and director at Harper Fine Dining, says the trend represents “an exciting deviation from traditional flavour combinations, granting consumers the best of both worlds”. Social media, Dominique Woolf, cookbook author and founder of The Woolf’s Kitchen, says, has played a “huge part in bringing this trend to life, showcasing it to a new, adventurous audience. Thanks to the viral popularity of dishes like Korean fried chicken, which uses gochujang, Korean food and its sweet and spicy deliciousness have never been more popular.” AH, SO IT’S GOT OVERSEAS ROOTS? “Sweet and spicy food combinations aren’t new,” says Dominique. “They exist across numerous cuisines, fromThai sweet chilli sauce and its quintessential condiment nam prik pao, to Korean gochujang paste, Mexican hot chocolate and the Sichuan dish kung pao.” Mexican food, too, is seeing its moment in the spotlight in the UK, and it has many swicy combinations, from traditional Mexicanmole, described by Michelle Rosser, co- founder andmanaging director of Pembrokeshire Chilli Farm, as “a complex sauce made with chilli and chocolate” to a sweet margarita spiced up by a kick of chilli salt on the rim. The rise of ‘swicy’, or sweet and spicy, flavours “plays nicely to the ongoing consumer movement towards more diverse, exciting taste experiences – experiences that often have roots in globally inspired cuisines,” says TomGatehouse, senior trends strategist at food consultants Egg Soldiers. WHO’S HUNGRY FOR SWICY FOOD AND DRINK? According to Scott Joynston, product development manager at The Flava People, younger generations, like Gen Z and younger Millennials, are a significant driving force behind the swicy trend. “This generation has been instrumental in the innovation of new and exciting food trends as they are constantly seeking exciting and new flavour profiles to tantalise the taste buds.” As younger US SALES FOR FOODS DESCRIBED AS ‘SPICY’ HAS INCREASED BY 9% YOY SOURCE: CIRCANA generations tease out the trending flavours they’re interested in, these are seeping into the mainstream audience. “Today’s consumers are seekingmore complex flavours from their foods, and this is where the sweet and spicy flavours come in,” Scott says. “It is driven by the consumer’s need to create a flavour combination that turns a forgettable meal into an excellent one.” HOWCAN I SELL THE SWICY TREND? FromThai chilli pastes to chilli jam chutneys, youmay even have sweet and spicy combinations on your shelves already. To get these products flying into consumers baskets, try marketing the ‘swicy’ flavours as the latest trend to try and offering customers a few recipe ideas. In a cost-of-living crisis when consumers are choosing to eat in rather than out, condiments offer a brilliant way to elevate home-cooked meals. “While what brings the flavour – sauces, spices, seasonings – is often not the most expensive part of the meal, it really canmake the difference,” Scott says. But where to start? Tom says Korean cuisine in particular has benefitted from the “focused spotlight on swicy-centric possibilities,” with the stage firmly set for gochujang. “The sweet/spicy Korean condiment staple is now turning up in all manner of dish types and product settings, be it as a crisp seasoning, creamy pasta sauce addition, fried chicken glaze, ice cream enhancer, Korean BBQ seasoning, or even as an upgrade to hot honey,” Tom says. WHAT’S TO COME FOR THE SWICY TREND? “The phrase ‘swicy’ will probably fade out of popularity quite quickly,” Ben fromSorted Food believes. “The novelty of the portmanteau will wear off. However, the flavour combination has been around a while and is here to stay.” One sign the flavour pairing is here for the long haul is its broad appeal, Tom says. “It’s very versatile, not just in product scope but also as a taste profile among consumers.” SWICY SELLS It might be trending on TikTok and inspired by far-off cuisines, but youmight already have the tools to cash in sitting on your shelves Today’s consumers are seekingmore complex flavours from their foods, and this is where the sweet and spicy flavours come in ORDER AT TRADE.TRACKLEMENTS.CO.UKOR CALL:01666 827044 The Life & Soul of the Pantry