Swicy Delights

“Swicy” might not be a word that is in your vocabulary but it should be! A blend of “sweet” and “spicy”, the new hot trend of “swicy” foods is one to watch in 2023. It likely kicked off several years ago with the popularity of sweet and savory combinations in things like salted caramel, chili mango, and hot honey.

As global ingredients and flavors have become more prominent and popular in our American culture and restaurant experiences, the combination of flavors such as sweet fruits, honey, and baked goods paired with spices, chiles, and hot peppers, was a natural progression.  Our population is becoming more and more diverse, so a tendency to accept foods with higher heat levels common to other geographical regions has become a not-so-surprising trend. A recent Instacart survey of over 2000 U.S. adults found that 74% eat hot sauce with their food—a clear indication that hot and spicy is a trend that will be around a while.  Coupling that need for heat with something sweet has resulted in the “swicy” movement.

Swicy foods tend to find the perfect balance between the right level of sweetness and hot or spicy.  Pair that with the higher tolerance for heat and spice that Americans are developing as they experience new international flavors, and the stage is set for acceptance of this recent trend that is a collision of sweet and spicy elements in our menus.  The trend was very evident in the Sweets & Snacks Expo this year, with numerous introductions of swicy combinations such as peach habanero and chili-chocolate. 

Maintaining the cherished comfort food base of things like fried chicken, sandwiches, or fries and “swicing” them up with things like sriracha honey, hot sauce and jam, or hot Honey Dijon is a popular way to tap into the 20.5% of consumers interested in experiencing the trendy sweet heat collision.

“Swicy” flavor ideas to satisfy your customer's desire for sweet and spicy fusions—

Mango habanero—the sweetness of the mango cuts into the strong heat of the habanero pepper.  This combo taps into the need to discover exotic fruit flavors with a tropical flair, blended perfectly with the spicy flavor of habanero peppers.  The combination works in numerous applications, such as alcoholic beverages and sauces for wings, chicken, and even desserts!  Add a little to soups or chilis at the end of the cooking process until you reach your desired level of heat.  Add to guacamole or hummus for a little added kick.  The possibilities for this mixture of sweet and spicy ingredients are endless—limited only by your imagination!

Hot honey—this culinary trend has grown 53% in consumer interest in the past year and 216% on menus over the past five years.  While many food manufacturers have gotten on this bandwagon with their own ready-to-use version, you can make your own hot honey.  Just combine liquid honey, chili flakes, and hot sauce into a pot and warm gently until you see bubbles at the edge of the pan.  Don’t let it boil, as it will thicken too much.  Let the chili flakes infuse into the honey for a few minutes, then strain the honey through a fine mesh.  You’re now ready to use the hot honey for everything from cheese to meats, to desserts.  Drizzle on pizza, fried chicken, roasted veggies, or salmon for a perfect heat-meets-sweet sauce that your customers are sure to come back for!

Spicy chocolate—sugar and spice makes dessert so nice!  A little heat can be a surprisingly delicious complement to sugar.  Flavorings such as chipotle, cayenne, and black pepper can be used in more than just your dinner menu.  The earthy flavors of chocolate are especially enhanced with the contrast of spicy notes.  Spice up brownies with guajillo pepper and cinnamon, add a smoky heat to chocolate cake, pie, or cookies with ancho chile powder or cayenne pepper, or add black pepper and cardamom to make spice cookies even spicier.  Chocolate or vanilla Ice cream is another basic dessert that can be waken up with spices like black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Test the consumer appeal of swicy desserts with offerings that take traditional desserts to a whole new level.

Seasonal offerings—many of the traditionally fall and winter sweet and spicy blends now have demand year-round.  While pumpkin spice and cinnamon still hold a place in the hearts of Americans during the fall and winter seasons, the new “swicy” trend in foods has made the popularity of these traditionally fall flavors applicable and demanded year-round.  Pumpkin spice latte, spiced cider, apple cider chai, cinnamon citrus peel, and maple spiced matcha, for example, are flavor profiles that spice up the market and restaurant menus all year.  Capitalize on this trend to spice up your menu and grow your customer loyalty.

Other quick ideas for combining sweet and spicy together--

·       Pineapples in spicy BBQ Sauce—serve it with meatballs over rice.

·       Thai style pineapple chicken fried rice with red pepper flakes.

·       Jalapeno poppers with sweet jelly dipping sauce.

·       Bacon with brown sugar, honey, diced jalapeno.

·       Strawberry smoothie with basil and black pepper..

Check out this swicy recipe here!