McCormick crowns blackcurrant as 2026 Flavor of the Year
The brand is also announcing up-and-coming trends through its McCormick Flavor Forecast® and is celebrating Black Currant throughout the year with launch events and product drops
Food and drink industry professionals are being put on alert for a new must-have ingredient: Blackcurrant. McCormick has officially unveiled the dark purple berry as its 2026 Flavor of the Year, predicting the sweet, tart, and rich profile will soon dominate global menus and product development.
The announcement comes alongside the release of the 2026 Flavor Forecast, McCormick’s annual report showcasing the latest culinary trends shaping consumer preferences worldwide.
Black Currant berries, native to central and northern Europe and Asia, offer a distinct and balanced flavour profile: a complex combination of tart-and-tangy notes with a sweet, fruity character that is simultaneously earthy, slightly floral, and herbal.
While the fruit has been popular for centuries in specific regions – used in jams, syrups, candies, desserts, drinks, and liqueurs – McCormick forecasts its widespread adoption across new categories and markets in the coming year.
"Black Currant is the next 'it' berry on the scene. For 26 years, McCormick and Flavor Forecast have been ahead of the intersection of food and culture," said Tabata Gomez, chief marketing officer at McCormick. "This year we're doing more than predicting a flavour; we're having a year-long celebration of Black Currant, a bold, sophisticated flavour that combines sweet with savoury and elevates the experience of any dish."
Hadar Cohen Aviram, executive chef at McCormick, added that the berry is "prized for its vibrant intensity, infusing everything from savoury reductions and sweet pastries to modern mixology with bold, sophisticated flavour."
Three key trends to watch in 2026
The 2026 Flavor Forecast identifies three broader culinary trends that food and drink manufacturers should integrate into their NPD pipelines:
- Attainable Opulence: this trend sees consumers using indulgent treats and elevated experiences as an everyday escape. It moves luxury flavours away from special occasions and into daily life, exemplified by recipes like the Blood Orange Cardamom Sour and Sweet and Tangy Stuffed Chicken Tenders.
- Simple to Spectacular: in a digital-forward world, consumers are finding value in fundamental cooking techniques and quality ingredients. This trend focuses on transforming humble, basic ingredients into show-stopping dishes through care and time, such as Pickled Veggie Toast on Homemade Sourdough Bread and Easy Focaccia Halloumi BLT.
- Sauce from Somewhere: consumers are demonstrating increasing "flavour fluency" and actively seeking ways to connect cultures and bring regional tastes of the world forward. Novel sauces, dips, drizzles, and spreads are key to this, sparking curiosity and enhancing meal routines. Example recipes include Roasted Chicken with Toum and Sambal Crusted Lamb Chomps.
McCormick plans to celebrate Black Currant throughout 2026 with launch events and product drops, providing ample opportunity for food and drink companies to capitalize on this predicted trend.
