The McCormick for Chefs Flavor Forecast for 2026 is here
Now in its 26th year, this forecast is notoriously correct in its visions for flavors of the future.
12 December 2025
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The Green Team prepared Macaroni and Cheese Waffles with Tomato Jam during the culinary exchange | Photo Credit: Benita Gingerella
Black currant is the flavor of the year, according to McCormick’s calculations | Photo credit: McCormick
While we love a good end-of-year trend list or best-dish roundup, we’re also eager to hear all the flavor, ingredient and menu predictions for the new year. For 26 years, McCormick for Chefs has tapped their wide network of culinary professionals, trend trackers, and food technologists to determine their annual Flavor Forecast report and highly anticipated Flavor of the Year. They’ve nailed everything from ube to Korean BBQ in the past (which are both still going strong in our opinions), and this week the company revealed the 2026 “it” flavor to watch. Potentially the opposite of Pantone’s “Cloud Dancer” white in hue—let’s hear it for the luscious, juicy, and versatile black currant.
The tart and tangy berries (also known as cassis) have just the right amount of sweetness and are native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia. Rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, they’ve been said to reduce joint pain and lower blood pressure. “Black currant is gaining attention in kitchens, prized for its vibrant intensity, infusing everything from savory reductions and sweet pastries to modern mixology with bold, sophisticated flavor,” said Hadar Cohen Aviram, Executive Chef at McCormick. “Rooted in history and bursting with benefits, black currant shines in kitchens, cocktails, and beyond.”
The Yellow Team’s Hot N Spicy Hormel Philly was topped with giardiniera | Photo credit: Benita Gingerella
McCormick plans to celebrate the bold berry all year round via launch events and product drops, says Tabata Gomez, CMO at McCormick. “This year we’re doing more than predicting a flavor; we’re having a year-long celebration of black currant, a bold, sophisticated flavor that combines sweet with savory and elevates the experience of any dish.”
Along with the Flavor of the Year, McCormick’s Flavor Forecast has identified three consumer dining trends along with food and drink recipes that incorporate the prized black currants and more. While we’d love to see it as a syrup in an old fashioned or in a sauce for a wintry game dish, this year’s report includes recipes that work the dark berry into a sauce for a PB & J-inspired cake, labneh with beets, crème brûlée custard,and more. With themes like “Attainable Opulence,” “Simple to Spectacular,” and “Sauce from Somewhere,” cooking and dining habits of consumers and home cooks in 2026 are all about escape, health, connection, global flavors and simplicity. Let’s dive into all three.
The Yellow Team’s Hot N Spicy Hormel Philly was topped with giardiniera | Photo credit: Benita Gingerella
Dressed-up familiar classics means feeling comfort and luxury simultaneously.
Attainable Opulence
Who isn’t looking for a budget-friendly way to escape these days? The idea of attainable opulence for consumers in 2026 is all about indulging in unexpected ingredients and low-maintenance dining experiences to enjoy anytime (not just on special occasions). Think winter-friendly blood orange cardamom sours with pumpkin pie spice (we love the idea of using aquafaba instead of egg whites for froth). This N/A and vegan drink is made with zero-proof gin (but you can swap in the real stuff if you like), and sub in different citrus if you want it to skew sweeter (cara cara works great), make it tangier with tangerines or more bitter with grapefruit. Up your basic burger game all year with a crunchy layer of fried lotus (thinly sliced potato or yucca also work) and Chinese five-spice comeback sauce. Don’t forget the fried egg and peppery arugula for balance. Chicken tenders also get a glow-up with prawn stuffing (flavored with dill, tarragon, thyme, and garlic) and served on a blood orange gastrique with just a hint of heat from cayenne. Black currant shows up in holiday friendly crème brûlée via the rosemary-vanilla bean custard (fresh or frozen berries work). And when is homemade pasta not indulgent? We love this mushroom-centric cappelletti where seasoned shiitakes and creminis are stuffed in the pasta with ricotta and served in an umami-rich broth. Think of it as familiar classics that skew fancy.
The Pink Team’s Cubano featured pork belly | Photo credit: Benita Gingerella
It’s all in the details that take simple to the realm of spectacular.
Simple to Spectacular
This trend is certainly about simplicity but also getting back to basics and keeping things easy, healthy, satisfying and local. Pickled veggie toast features herbed ricotta and a mix of quick-pickled carrots and tomato confit on crusty sourdough, while refreshing green apple agua frescas are a great N/A option with fruit and veggies (we love the unexpected addition of romaine) and herby notes from dill and fennel seed all mixed with club soda and topped with fresh dill, sliced apples, or even edible flowers. In the sandwich realm, a classic BLT gets gussied up with herbed focaccia, halloumi, and candied bacon, and a classic PB and J is giving coffee cake with layers of black currant jelly and peanut streusel and a scoop of vanilla on the side. We love a winter salad and this version with maple-mustard cashew vinaigrette might be the prettiest we’ve seen. Fennel-candied hazelnuts add pops of crunch on top and a slice of cucumber wrapped around the bright and fresh mix and holds it all together.
This looks like another piece of evidence for The Sauce Files.
Sauce from Somewhere
One of our favorite food groups is condiments and this trend is all about embracing and highlighting sauces, dips, chutneys and spreads with global influence. Think roasted chicken with toum, a simple creamy “mayo” of the Levant with garlic, oil, and salt and fish and chips with curry sauce, a nod to Japanese influence in British gastropubs. This version of the Friday night special features a sweet curry sauce inspired by Japanese katsu curry with a kicky hit of Frank’s RedHot original Cayenne Pepper sauce. Don’t leave out the mashed peas or Old Bay malt vinegar for the fries on the side. Savory medu vada donuts are gluten free and made with white lentils and an accompanying chutney that is equal parts sweet, spicy, and savory with whole, dried Kashmiri chiles, Sichuan peppercorns, celery, onion, soy sauce, ketchup and more. Pair the versatile chutney with breaded chicken or pork, or used as a topping for hummus. Spicy Indonesian sambal (a mix of curry leaves, coconut flakes, breadcrumbs and sambal spice blend) can be used to crust lamb chops that get dipped in a tomato sambal sauce with fenugreek, shrimp paste, and Fresno chiles, and our black currant beauties add color and earthy flavor to a three-ingredient labneh as well as a jam to top roasted beets.
Source: FoodService Director