Kalsec hot and spicy survey: Unexpected flavor combinations and adventurous eating turn up the heat

The demand for spicier options has surged in recent years, with a significant majority of consumers (81%) now enjoying medium or above heat levels, a Kalsec survey has revealed. Additionally, the rise of globalization and the ubiquity of social media has made the pursuit of new sources of heat easier, with 46% of global consumers following influencers or blogs dedicated to hot and spicy foods.

For its “Beyond the Burn” report, the company surveyed nearly 6,000 consumers online from the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and China.

Food Ingredients First sits down with Mark Staples, VP of global marketing and Melissa Laupp, senior marketing manager, Color, Taste and Sensory Solutions at Kalsec to explore emerging flavors in the spicy flavor landscape.

“We’re really seeing an increase in adventurous spicy eating. That means people are looking toward other types of heat, not just heat for heat’s sake. However, we are also seeing an increase in the frequency and the potency of the heat that people are favoring. Still, it’s also trying different flavors from different regions and combinations of flavors,” shares Staples.

Kalsec has observed an increase in the frequency and potency of the heat that people are favoring, says Staples.“Think of hot and sweet, something we call ‘swicy,’ which is kind of a common term nowadays, but it’s something that’s indicative of where people are going when it comes to heat, and they just want to try different things, and are continually just trialing different experiences within heat.”

Unexpected flavors

For Laupp, it is interesting to see how in the food landscape right now that spicy flavors are starting to even go “beyond the bounds of where it has generally been normal.”

“We’re seeing anything from prepared foods, sauces, snacks, even cheeses or dairy, anything that you can think of, also now is starting to show a spicy option, which is really showcasing how important heat is to consumers,” she tells us.

The “swicy” flavor combination is a “captivating combination” highlighted in the report, that is increasingly featured on menus, stores and across social media platforms.

“What’s more exciting is the future of this trend. Innovation will come from pushing boundaries— pairing heat with unexpected flavors or creating new taste sensations. This is where product developers can tap into consumers’ growing sense of adventure,” notes Laupp.

The other flavor combinations with spicy that the consumers indicated interest in, were tangy (53%), salty (51%) and sour (48%).

Tapping the heat in savory

Global consumers are most interested in trying spicy flavors in sauces, instant noodles and dips, underscores Kalsec’s report.

Nearly 46% of of global consumers follow influencers or blogs dedicated to hot and spicy foods.“We’re seeing heat in all forms and places, but in particular, the savory food categories, and certainly within the instant noodle category, as well as dips and sauces,” Staples underscores.

Smoky & sweet pepper flavors “with a little kick of heat” would resonate the most with Asia-Pacific consumers when consuming an instant noodle product.

Notably, early childhood introduction is linked to a preference for higher heat levels, the report highlights.

Regional preferences

The report notes that nearly 65% of consumers are eating spicier foods today compared to a year ago. While two to three times a week remains the most typical frequency of consumption, the number of consumers enjoying spicy foods at this rate has grown by 8% since 2021.

Spicy foods are especially popular in the Asia-Pacific region, where consumers eat them four to five times a week. 

“It’s fun to experiment with peppers and see how each region has its own pepper that it gravitates to for different cuisines. In the Americas, jalapeno is the most sought-after pepper. And then when you look over Europe, we see that the cayenne pepper is the top one they would like to experiment with,” says Laupp.

Besides prepared foods, sauces and snacks, even cheeses or dairy are starting to show a spicy option, says Laupp.

“When you look at the Asia Pacific market, the Thai bird’s eye chili is the key pepper that they like to experiment with and utilize for increasing the spiciness of foods. Each region is starting to adapt different peppers and flavors into their cuisines amid globalization.”

Alternatively, for Latin American consumers, 70% consider the specific heat source important and nearly 90% believe that most foods taste better with “some level of heat.”

Analyzing pepper preferences

Jalapeño, cayenne and chipotle remain popular choices among consumers, indicating a preference for moderate heat levels. However, the report states Thai chili / bird’s eye chili as also gaining popularity in both retail and foodservice.

According to the report, 63% of consumers perceive chili pepper-containing products as “more innovative.”

“I thought it was so unique to find some parallels between the specific peppers that consumers have identified that they haven’t tried but want to try, as well as the spicy flavors that they haven’t tried but want to try,” says Laupp.

Over half of surveyed consumers prefer to eat spicy foods in the evening.“Identifying that heat and smoky, earthy, tangy, those types of flavor combinations are really where manufacturers will want to start looking for new product innovation.”

Quantifying flavors

In the future, Kalsec will look beyond technical innovation, such as a “quantitative approach” to consumer preferences, Staples shares. 

“We are working with a partner where we are actually tracking people’s emotional reaction through their brain waves when they try different spicy foods.”

The company aims to use quantitative data to understand the emotions that they may not be able to articulate in a survey.