US EditionMcCormick Predicts This Flavour Will Dominate Menus in 2026
Black currant, noted for its sweet-tart flavor, is rising on menus globally with a 34% increase in mentions, aligning with trends of attainable opulence and sauce experimentation.
- On Dec. 9, 2025, McCormick & Company named black currant its 2026 Flavor of the Year from Hunt Valley, Md., and plans a year-long celebration with launches and product drops.
- McCormick's Flavor Forecast team, a global team of about 80 people, named Black currant for its sweet, tart, rich taste and 34% rise in mentions over the past 12 months.
- Globally, chefs are using black currant in liqueurs, vinegars, glazes, cocktails and soft drinks, while Hadar Cohen Aviram, Executive Chef at McCormick, says it elevates baked goods and game meats.
- The forecast positions McCormick & Company to use the Flavor Forecast as product-development tool to boost visibility amid tariffs and rising commodity costs and stock performance lost more than 15% this year.
- McCormick flagged three 2026 trends, including Attainable Opulence and sauce experimentation, noting black currant on just 1% of US menus but set to gain global presence soon.
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McCormick unveils prediction for 2026 'Flavor of the Year'
McCormick & Company, famous for its widely accessible fleet of spices and seasonings, has unveiled that its 2026 "Flavor of the Year" is black currant, predicting a significant rise in the flavor's popularity.
East Bay Times
The Mercury news2026 flavor of the year: Ingredient expected to be big on U.S. menus
New York — Black currant has been picked by spice maker McCormick as a flavor that will soon be big in American dishes and drinks. The 2026 “Flavor of the Year” is part of the company’s annual report on dining trends. Other concepts it says are rising in popularity include sauce experimentation — a shift visible across the fast food industry — and “attainable opulence,” with diners treating themselves to small extravagances. Black currant ties…
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