How Gen Z’s Bold Flavor Obsession is Reshaping Food & Beverage
By Caroline Zerilli, Product Marketing Manager at Chicory
Today’s younger consumers aren’t just adventurous eaters—they’re flavor fanatics. Gen Z is shaping the future of food and beverage with unexpected flavor profiles that pack a punch. More than 90% of Gen Z and Millennials say they actively seek out new food and beverage flavors—and most say, “the wilder the better.” With spicy and sour flavors being physiologically addictive, it’s no surprise that they’re the dominant force behind today’s recent innovations.
Discovery & Spending: Social Media Fuels the Flavor Economy
84% of consumers who seek out new flavors cite social media as their top discovery source, underscoring the importance of platforms like TikTok in launching viral flavor trends. Even in a cautious economy, snacks remain sacred for Gen Z. In fact, they’re one of the last things to get cut from consumers’ budgets. As Gen Z continues to prioritize “little treats” as small, everyday indulgences, there is a significant opportunity for brands to capture spending with unique flavor innovations that deliver the sensory experiences Gen Z craves.
Turning Up the Heat on Sweet
Gen Z consumers increasingly want their food to be sweet and spicy—resulting in the flavor profile “swicy” taking off. Whether it’s hot honey on fried chicken, sweet and spicy trail mix, or lemonade with a kick, this cultural phenomenon has brands developing innovative products to keep up.
Hot Honey Hype — Hot honey mentions are up +128% on menus over the past four years, and Chicory saw hot honey recipe views surge +187% in Q1 2025.
Gen Z Goes for Spice — 61% of Gen Z consumers say they regularly eat and enjoy spicy food—far higher than the all-shopper average of 43%.
Protein with a Kick — Top swicy recipes involve chicken—signaling that consumers are seeking ways to put a fun twist on protein-packed favorites.
It’s Kind of a Big ‘Dill’
Once reserved for burger sides and sandwiches, dill pickles have now gone viral. Gen Z is fueling this unexpected flavor’s growth across packaged snacks and quick-serve restaurant menu items.
Sky-High Recipe Views — Chicory data shows views on pickle recipes spiking +692% from May to their July peak.
Cross-Category Explosion — Cheetos, Goldfish, V8, Popeye’s, and Jimmy John’s have all jumped in with dill flavored innovations.
How Chicory Connects Brands to Viral Flavors
As younger consumers increasingly demand high-impact flavors, Chicory keeps your brand top-of-mind by aligning media with relevant flavor moments when shoppers are in the right mindset.
Meet Shoppers in the Right Mindset —91% of consumers use online recipes for meal planning, creating the perfect environment to influence flavor-seeking shoppers.
Contextually Target Flavor Moments — Chicory’s proprietary contextual targeting across 5,200+ recipe publishers can deliver your brand message alongside trending flavor profiles to capitalize on real-time consumer trends.
Close the Loop from Inspiration to Purchase — 80% of consumers have been inspired by a recipe to purchase a new product, and our shoppable integrations with 70+ retailers help capture this intent.
Want to learn more about how Chicory can help your brand connect with flavor-seeking consumers? Say hello@chicory.co to get in touch with our team.
