Fricy food trend needs reliable processing equipment
By Matt Hale, Global Business Development Director, HRS Heat Exchangers
If hot honey and‘ swicy’( sweet plus spicy) were the must-try flavour combinations of 2025, then there’ s no doubt amongst those in the know that this year’ s( literal) hot food trend is‘ fricy’, an intriguing mixture of fruity and spicy.
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Google reports that interest in the search term‘ fruity and spicy’ doubled globally between February 2025 and February 2026, and the potential options are increasing. From condiments to salads, stir fries to cocktails, this culinary sensation is introducing consumers to interesting dishes from around the world – such as Mexico’ s vasito loco, Filipino pork hamonado or Thai som tam – as well as creating new mashups and flavour combinations. While many of these flavour combinations will be created at home or in restaurant kitchens, the accompanying demand for condiments, sauces and drinks – such as spicy margaritas – presents both opportunities and challenges for food and drink manufacturers.
A festival of flavour
Combinations of spice, heat and fruit are not unique to South America or Asia. Italy’ s Mostarda di Frutta has been accompanying grilled and cold meats and cheese for centuries, while North African tagines and Indian chutneys have long combined strong spice flavours and fruit. In fact, there is a scientific reason for the popularity of such flavour pairings – not only does the sweetness help to temper and counter the heat and spice( for example, soothing the taste receptors in the mouth that have been stimulated by capsaicin), but both create pleasure signals in the brain, offering the diner a multilayered experience greater than the sum of its parts.