‘Fricy’: why it’s the hottest flavour trend of summer 2026

Fruity and spicy combines to make fricy and it’s the flavour combination that’s emerging on social media for summer 2026. The ‘spicy’ means heat and that’s coming from chillis or black pepper. The fruits are typical summer favourites, such as pineapple, peach, mango, strawberries and watermelon. It’s not a new idea but, let’s face it, that’s never stopped Gen Z and it’s love of a portmanteau-based trend before, plus it feeds directly into the generation’s love of global cuisine. The combination is inspired by dishes from Mexico and wider Latin America, and some Asian cuisines. It’s becoming so popular that food websites and UK retailers such as Waitrose have released recipes dedicated to it. Think mango chilli margaritas and pineapple and raspberry jalapeño sauce. And no category escapes its clutches – it spans across all categories, from ready meals and sauces to chocolate and ice creams. “Having spent decades developing and judging ice cream, I can say with confidence that the ‘fricy’ trend is one of the most exciting developments I’ve seen in the industry,” says Josef Boni, ice cream inventor and judge of Ice Cream Alliance’s The Golden Scoop Awards. “When I was creating ice cream flavours back in the 1980s, we were pushing boundaries, but combinations like mango chilli or raspberry jalapeño would have raised eyebrows. Today’s ice cream consumers are far more adventurous and ice cream is the perfect vehicle for experimentation.” Some trends are faddy and ridiculous, but this one is backed by (a) cuisines that have been doing it since time began and (b) flavour science. “There are three elements to how we experience flavour,” says Dr Ni Yang, associate professor in flavour science at the University of Nottingham. “First is aroma - this comes from volatile compounds in foods or drink that travel to the receptors in your nose, then send a signal to your brain to form an aroma perception. “Second is taste – those basic tastes like sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami are from non-volatile compounds and they need to dissolve in your saliva, then reach the taste receptors on your tongue, then send a signal to a different part of the brain to aroma. Third is trigeminal sensation that goes through nerves connected to your eyes, nose and tongue that send signals to the brain. “That’s where we experience the heat of chilli or the tingling from fizzy drinks,” says Dr Yang. “That’s why, for example, your eyes and nose water when you eat spicy foods because chilli is a trigeminal stimulant. “Before you start eating, you smell the aroma; once you’ve started eating or drinking, that’s compounded by the smell being pushed out of your mouth every time you exhale into your nasal receptors - that’s called retronasal aroma delivery.” “The different volatile compounds in fruits give off different aromas, so that‘s what you get first for the brain to work out which fruit you’re eating, then the sugar molecules that dissolve in your saliva to reach your tongue,’ says Dr Yang. There is a compound in chilli called capsaicin. “This is a potent compound that triggers specific receptors in your mouth called TRPV1,” says Dr Yang. “This sends signals to your brain and your brain knows there is heat in your mouth. “This receptor is for temperature as well as for pain sensation, so that’s why when you have something hot, you can feel hot. But also, if it’s too extreme, you can feel pain.” ... that’s where the magic happens. “You get a complex, multi-sensory experience,” says Dr Yang. “They trigger different parts of the brain. When you only have one stimulant, you trigger one part of the brain but combine them together and you get this more complicated perception.” Time of delivery also affects your perception of the combination. ‘My research has shown that with something like a fruity flavour, the signal is almost immediately sent to your brain that it’s sweet, says Dr Yang. “But for heat, it needs time to develop. “I put them together in one matrix and in the first 10 seconds, we saw a big pick-up for the sweet, fruity sensation, but you need to wait until 20 seconds for the heat to start building to the maximum. So it’s a layered delivery.” Research has even shown that it makes food taste better. “We did some research on flavour perception and it showed that people rate flavour more highly when it has heat added,” says Dr Yang. “The natural sweetness and acidity also help balance the heat from the chilli, making it more approachable and enjoyable,” says Dominique Woolf, founder of The Woolf’s Kitchen, which makes sauces with fruit and chilli. Chillies themselves have volatile compounds and some are more fragrant than others and affect flavour. But the compound that gives chilli its heat ”has no taste and no smell", says Dr Yang. That means it can add to the multi-sensory experience of a food without altering its taste. It is also associated with a feeling of reward, says Dr Yang. “When your mouth is on fire, you produce more saliva and you sweat, but once you cool down this heat in your mouth, you have the feeling of having succeeded.” The challenge for F&B is finding the right balance between pleasure and pain. You’ll know if you’ve sat with your eyes and nose running from a spicy dish that chilli can sometimes tip into uncomfortable. In countries that don’t have chilli as a staple ingredient, tolerance to its heat can be lower. “The more chilli you have, the more tolerance you gain,” says Dr Yang. “The amount of heat that goes in to a food or drink depends on your target audience.” “Gen Z tend to have a more confident relationship with chilli, shaped by a lifetime of global cuisine and street food culture,” says Boni. “It’s always a balancing act,” says Woolf. “It’s never about heat for heat’s sake. We want the chilli to be there, but it shouldn’t dominate. We test every product with a range of people to make sure we’ve got that balance right.” Woolf sees an uptick in sales in the summer. “The flavours work brilliantly for outdoor eating occasions such as barbecues and picnics,” she says. “We’ve seen strong interest in products like Pineapple Sweet Chilli because they work equally well as a dip, marinade or finishing sauce for summer meals. “Summer is a time when people naturally gravitate towards brighter, fresher and more vibrant flavours.”

‘Fricy’: why it’s the hottest flavour trend of summer 2026

The trend taps into adventurous palates and flavour science, making it a must-watch opportunity for F&B

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