A rustic wooden table filled with fresh red chili peppers, dried spices, garlic, cherry tomatoes, and a wooden bowl of spicy red sauce, accompanied by a wooden spoon.

A refreshing yellow cocktail in a textured glass with a chili salt rim, garnished with a green chili pepper and a lime wedge, placed on a white marble surface with fresh cilantro leaves nearby.

Spicy foods are popular, and their power to draw in new customers and generate positive word of mouth for your restaurant has never been greater. According to Datassential, “Seventy percent of restaurants have at least one item on their menu that they call ‘spicy’.”1

Spicy flavors are also emerging as a highly desirable item in beverages as well. A recent study by FMCG Gurus found that 82% of consumers like hot flavors and spicy flavors in their beverages.2

“Sweet heat” is one way to incorporate spicy trends into your beverage menu. Combining fruity and sweet flavors with a spicy, hot surprise yields exciting new options to enliven your current menu. For example, serve a spicy jalapeño margarita “made with fresh lime juices, orange juice, and slices of jalapeño pepper.”3

Pairing proteins that already have broad appeal with a growth item from the “spicy” realm, such as a spicy dry rub or sauce. Broad-appeal items that are still growing and trendy tend to make a bigger splash when paired with something spicy that has a lot of growth appeal.

Spice blends are often the first introduction to new spices, offering a balanced and approachable mix of herbs and spices. A report in a Wasserstrom blog highlights one such blend making waves in 2024 is berbere, a North African spice blend featuring cayenne, bird’s eye pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cloves, and turmeric. Described as a modern substitute for curry powder, berbere adds depth and warmth to dishes.4

In Datassential’s February 2024 report “The World of Spicy Flavors,” they categorized spicy options from inception to ubiquity in the food and beverage market. Highlighted peppers and spices include:

Ingredients to make hot sauce

  • Inception: Scotch bonnet pepper, sweety drop pepper, salsa macha
  • Adoption: Fresno pepper, smoked paprika, Aleppo pepper, gochujang
  • Proliferation: Hot honey, wasabi, chili lime, pepperoncini pepper
  • Ubiquity: Pico de gallo, banana pepper, chipotle, sriracha5

Using Datassential’s approach, spicy flavors can be incorporated into your menu in a variety of ways:

Inception: Fermented flavors like doubanjiang or fermented chilies are beginning to trend in 2024.

Adoption: Dried peppers and dried pepper flakes such as guajillo, Aleppo, and anchos are currently trending

Proliferation: Explore sweet and savory options, especially with tropical fruits. Consider spicy pineapple jalapeno jelly or mango salsa alongside popular proteins or in salads.

Ubiquity: Freshen up condiments with salsa variations like corn, black bean, or pepita salsa, offering modern twists to Mexican dishes or traditional entree

Finally, dessert. According to The Food Institute’s report, Tastewise predicts that spicy ice cream will trend in 2024.

Blue bowl filled with ice cream

“Asian ice cream flavors are rising, including Korean red bean, Thai Pandan coconut, and gochujang ice cream, a unique blend of spiciness...”6

Ask your Avendra International representative or contact Avendra Consulting Services to help you find solutions to spice up your menus for 2024.

[1] “The World of Spicy Flavors”, Datassentials, 2/2024

[2] FMCG Gurus Flavor, Color, Texture Trends, 2023

[3] American International Foods, Inc (AIFI), “Top Beverage Trends for 2024”

[4] “Trending Spices for 2024 and Beyond”, January 2024

[5] “The World of Spicy Flavors”, Datassentials, 2/2024

[6] The Food Institute, “2024 Trends to Watch: Bold Soups, Spices, and Global Flavors” by Jordan Wiklund, January 2024.