Experts say 'FRICY' food will trend in 2026 - a mix of fruit and spice

If last year had us hooked on ‘swicy’ flavours, this year’s predicted food trends are set to liven things up even more, experts say.

2025 was dominated by ‘sweet and spicy’ dishes, with chilli chocolate and hot honey appearing on menus and in supermarkets around the world.

But the new year brings an even more bizarre combination – ‘fricy’ foods that mix fruity and spicy tastes.

This includes dishes like spicy Thai salads or Mexican recipes with plenty of mango, chilli and lime.

Online retailer Sous Chef is already reporting soaring sales of fricy condiments, the BBC reports.

They say sales of Mexican chamoy – a tangy mix of pickled fruit, lime and chilli - is up 64 per cent in three months.

Meanwhile interest in Japanese yuzu kosho, a fermented chilli and citrus blend, has risen 28 per cent.

Other fruity and spicy mashups could include pineapple and black pepper or citrus with a sharp kick – both of which offer a pop of fruity sweetness followed by a hit of acidity.

Food writer Sejal Sukhadwala, who write ‘The Philosophy of Curry’, took to X to express her hopes that the unusual flavour really does take off.

‘I don’t normally bother with upcoming food trends but if fruity, spicy flavours are in, I hope kasundi finally gets to shine,’ she wrote.

‘It’s a superb Bengali mustard relish that comes in several varieties – hunt down the green mango version if you can.’

Meanwhile recipe develop and writer Sophia Real wrote in a blog post: ‘Apparently 2026 is the year we will get fricy – short for fruity and spicy.

‘If you were born close to or below the Southern Hemisphere this probably isn’t all that new to you.

‘You might have grown up sprinkling a mix of chilli powder and sugar over fresh fruit, or chewing on spicy tamarind candy.

‘But now the rest of the world has finally caught on and we will be seeing many more fruity and spicy treats this year.’

For those wanting to try out the trend, she recommends trying some Tajín – Mexican chili lime seasoning – and dipping fruit like melon or ripe stone fruit into it.

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As of today, Britain’s first spicy cereal will be available across major UK supermarkets.

Kellogg’s have jumped on last year’s ‘swicy’ bandwagon and released a hot honey version of their popular Crunchy Nut cereal.

It builds on the recent success of the hot honey flavour, with it now being put on everything from pizzas to chicken and even popcorn.

We taste tested their new breakfast invention – with surprising results – and you can read our review here.

How to make your own hot honey

INGREDIENTS

• 350g pot of honey (the best you can get, preferably English and not a blend). Then choose your chilli heat... 

FOR MILD CHILLI HONEY, WITH A LITTLE KICK...

• 2 jalapeno chillies, thinly sliced 

FOR A BIT HOTTER... 

• 2 Thai Bird’s eye chillies, chopped 

AND FOR A SERIOUS PUNCH... 

• 1 habanero or Scotch Bonnet chilli, finely sliced 
• 1 tbsp of good quality cider vinegar

METHODS 

 1. Gently heat the honey and chopped chillies in a pan. Bring to the lightest of simmers and cook for five minutes. Turn the heat off, add the cider vinegar, mix and allow to sit. Fifteen minutes should give you a good heat. The longer the chillies steep, the hotter the honey will become. If you’re a real hot head, you can leave them in. 

2. When cool enough, strain or remove chillies with tongs. Use the honey jar, sterilised, to store your chilli honey in a cool, dry place.