Forget ‘swicy’, there’s a new portmanteau in town. ‘Fricy’, the combination of fruity and spicy flavours, is one of 2026’s most talked-about flavour trends, and Hawkins Watts has the experience to help you get on board.
The latest fruity spicy – ‘fricy’ – flavour trend is picking up significant interest across foodservice, social media and retail globally.
The combination of fruit and heat has deep roots in Latin American and Asian cuisine, from Mexican street food stalls serving mango drenched in chamoy and Tajin, to Japanese yuzu kosho bringing spicy citrus complexity to noodles, meats, and more.
Now, Millennial and Gen Z consumers are driving demand for bold, sense-evoking global flavours and multi-sensory eating experiences (dubbed “sense maxxing”) and ‘fricy’ hits that spot perfectly.
For manufacturers, it’s time to think beyond fruit because the ‘fricy’ flavour profile works well in snacks, beverages, desserts, condiments, confectionery, and more.
For innovation and R&D teams, the timing is perfect, with the trend having enough social proof and foodservice precedent to reduce commercial risk, while remaining sufficiently innovative to stand out.
Whether you’re developing a new hot sauce SKU, reformulating a snack range, or looking to bring a more adventurous flavour to your beverage lineup, ‘fricy’ offers a compelling, consumer-validated opportunity.
Hawkins Watts specialises in:
- Natural flavours, oleoresins, yeast extracts and specialty dairy powders, including spicy and fruity ingredients;
- natural colours;
- taste modulators and masking flavours;
- natural sweeteners and sweetening systems; and
- texture systems.
A fricy snapshot
- 34% of New Zealanders are interested in trying flavours inspired by global foods (Mintel, 2025);
- 44% of Australian consumers say they’re always or often looking for new foods and flavours to try (Mintel, 2025);
- interest in the search term ‘fruity and spicy’ doubled between February 2025 and February 2026 (Google Trends, global data); and
- 26% of US consumers are interested in purchasing snacks that combine sweet and spicy flavours (Mintel, 2026).
Hawkins Watts is exhibiting at foodpro 2026. Find us at: E22.
This article first appeared in the Q2 2026 edition of Food & Drink Business magazine.
