Spicy Foods Era is Just Beginning for Americans

Spicy food is not just a fad in the restaurant industry—it’s a consumer shift that’s here to stay, restaurant industry experts say.

“Every type of food business has seen the impact of the rising popularity of hot sauce and spicy food—this persistent consumer trend has caused observable changes in the fast food industry [and] elevated specific flavors like sriracha to global popularity,” a spokesperson for Nestle USA’s 2024 Food Trend Report told Newsweek.

The shift to a spicier taste profile has various reasons, but a key factor concerns younger generations and their search for more diverse flavors.

“It’s because of the increasing diversity of the world and younger generations. There is more food accessibility to cuisine from around the world, and as spiciness is seen more often in non-western cuisines, the embracing and melding of cultures has led to this incredible food moment in time,” Nestle USA said in its findings.

As palettes are changing, the shift to spicy can be seen everywhere.

California Pizza Kitchen unveiled its Hot Honey Croissant Crust Pizza this year, with hot honey becoming a near-national flavor on menus across the country.

Even frozen food companies have gotten behind the trend, with Stouffer’s launching a Spicy Nacho Mac and Hot Pockets selling its Hot Ones version of the classic snack.

The shift toward spicy has been happening over a long stretch of time. Back in 2020, Mintel reported that 75 percent of consumers enjoyed spicy flavors. And in 2021, an Instacart survey showed 74 percent of shoppers eat hot sauce with their food.

Specifically, sriracha sauce has exploded in popularity, with the traditional Asian condiment surging in sales by 45 percent between 2007 and 2021, according to Innova research.

While sriracha used to stay mainly in Asian cuisine, it’s having new uses in popcorn, chicken and cocktail sauce.

Grocery sales for the hot/Cajun sauce category also surged 5.2 percent to $789.9 million in 2022, according to market research company IRI’s data.

Because many Americans started cooking different types of food during the pandemic, consumers are increasingly looking for spicy flavors for both at-home cooking and restaurant orders.

“These flavors have generally always been trendy,” Shannon Cushen, the director of marketing for Fuchs North America, told Food & Beverage Insider.

“But the ways that trend has manifested have continued to change. So, we’ve always had brands interested in hot and spicy flavors, but the kinds of hot and spicy flavors they’re looking for has changed to reflect consumers’ tastes. These days, we’re seeing a lot of demand for spicy flavors inspired by global cuisines, as well as hot flavors featuring unique and exotic peppers.”

Consumers are increasingly adventurous when it comes to their hot sauce choices as well.

Newer brands like Maya Kaimal and TRUFF gained traction, offering shoppers unique bursts of flavors from truffles or Indian spices, according to Instacart’s 2022 data.

Even Google search trends reflect the push for spicier flavors. Between 2008 and 2020, hot sauce searches skyrocketed by 210 percent, according to Google Trends, reflecting a changing consumer sentiment.

And moving forward, restaurateurs and food brands only expect the interest to increase as consumers adopt more adventurous taste profiles.

The hot sauce market is projected to reach $4.9 billion by 2026, which could reflect a surge of 78 percent from 2020, according to a 2021 Facts and Factors report.