Flavor Focus: Swicy

FLAVOR FOCUS

Aka where sweet and spicy intersect and intrigue the palate

Sure, the combination of sweet and spicy flavors has exponentially grown in popularity (especially in recent years thanks to that voracious Gen Z), but damn is that rather unfortunate portmanteau just annoying. And embarrassing.

But swicy it will stay. In this Flavor Focus we’re here to look beyond the buzzword and celebrate all the amazing and freaking delicious aspects of this dynamic flavor duo.

Swicy Needs Better Branding.

This Is Your Brain On Swicy

Blame Gen Z

The Best (And Worst) Portmanteaus

Swicy Dishes In The Wild

The Data Made Me Do It

Spiceology's Swicy Start

Spiceologist Dish On Swicy

Swicy Swagger Blends

LESS PAIN, MORE PLEASURE:

This is Your Brain
on Swicy

There is a definite biological reason our brains, tongues and palates really, really like swicy as a flavor - they balance each other out so you experience less pain and more pleasure.

Heat from chiles activates different parts of the tongue and palate while you can experience sweet flavors all over the tongue.

Your tastebuds have receptors that sense this capsaicin (aka the oil in spicy foods that creates that warm, burning sensation), and depending on the heat level can send a pain signal to the brain. (These receptors are, in a sense, tricked into thinking there is a high temperature present, even though the food itself isn't actually hot.)

Adding a sweet flavor element to a spicy food creates a complexity to the overall flavor that complements the heat without overpowering it. When we taste something sweet, the sweet receptors on our tongue perk up and send a signal to the brain that is perceived as pleasure.

A little pain. A little pleasure. Either way we’re here for that swicy sensation, that by the way - is not a trend…

Here’s our hot take:

Swicy simply can no longer be considered a trend. Why? Trends tend to describe something that is a current style or preference - and swicy has been around A LONG time.

News media outlets and Gen Zers alike are acting like this sweet heat thing is a new invention. It’s not.

And we’re not just talking about our 12-year legacy with the swicy flavor profile. While Spiceology might have been founded on the granulated sexiness that was our first-ever blend back in the day: Smoky Honey Habanero, alas we can’t take credit for this one.

That’s because it’s not a new idea: global cuisines have celebrated this dynamic flavor duo for centuries. Traditional sweet heat swicy dishes can be found in Thai and Korean cuisines, along with Latin America and Mexican dishes - heck, even those inventive Ancient Romans were known to pair honey and peppers together.

But while swicy might not be a trend, it’s certainly something that people freaking love.

Almost as much as a foodie portmanteau...

We’re Ranking Popular Portmanteaus

(the word AND the actual foodie thing) from our favorites to the B.S. buzzwords that need to go bye bye.

Brunch:breakfast and lunch aka best of both worlds

Froyo:who in the heck doesn’t like frozen yogurt

Spork:the spoon fork of our childhood

Cronut:the croissant-donut

Swicy:sweet and spicy, but make it a dad joke

Brookie:a brownie and cookie walk into a bakery…

Sushirrito:a sushi burrito, file under messy but good

Totchos:tater tot nachos, fun to say, sounds like it’s toddler food

Cruffin:the croissant-muffin - this one’s rough

10.

Moffle:the muffin-waffle is just awful

SWICY WEST COAST TOUR

Dish Sightings In The Wild

It seems like swicy flavors are popping up on menus everywhere we look. And not just on restaurant menus – we’re talking theme parks, movie theaters, meal kits, grocery stores – you name it, you can’t escape swicy sweetin’ and heatin’ things up.

San Diego's Finest Hot Chicken Sandwich

San Diego, CA - Petco Park

Smoky Honey Habanero Spicy Crispy Chicken Slider

Portland, OR - Burgerville

Smoky Honey Habanero Wings

Raymond, WA - Home Slice Pizzeria

The Data Made Me Do It

There’s a reason swicy has real staying power: it’s a flavor profile diners have cultivated a craveable proclivity for - and the bottom line is dishes touting that sweet and spicy actually sell on the menu. But don’t just take it from us - the data don’t lie:

Nearly 10% of restaurant menus have swicy items, up 1.8% over the last 12 months, and over the next four years, its menu penetration is expected to rise 9.6%.*

According to Spiceology’s 2024 Chef Survey, a whopping 54% of chefs are adding swicy to the menu.

Hot honey - the liquid embodiment of swicy - has grown 111% on restaurant menus.*

53% of Gen Z shoppers say they enjoy swicy heat.** (Which probably had a direct correlation between the next data point…)

Social conversations around swicy flavors grew by 28% last year.***

*According to Dataessential
** Accoridng to Daymon
*** According to Tastewise

FACT:

Spiceology’s Very Existence Is Because Of Swicy.

Spiceology’s Swicy Start

Smoky Honey Habanero

Chef and Spiceology Co-Founder Pete Taylor’s first blend, Smoky Honey Habanero, put Spiceology on the map with its addictive smoky-sweet heat and thus created our very first Signature Blend.

The blend was sold during our humble farmers’ market beginnings, earning an insatiable fanbase and laying the foundation for Spiceology’s Periodic Table of Flavor we know today. In fact, Smoky Honey Habanero remains a bestseller to this day.

So what’s so magical about this seasoning? Why has it earned the title of "Granulated Sexiness”?

FLAVOR:

Sweet, Spicy, Smoky,
Savory / Umami

Ingredients:
Honey Granules, Smoked Paprika, Brown Sugar, Habanero Powder

Application:

You can use any cooking technique with this blend, but there is a magical caramelization that occurs when cooking with heat because of those honey granules.

Consistency:

Smooth and Granulated Layered Texture