Heated flavour rivalries

Honey has gone sweet-spicy (swicy). Salty olives are crashing sugary desserts (swalty). There’s fricy too. What's going on?

- Christalle Fernandes

Flavour mixes are changing so fast, even Spellcheck can't keep up. What on Earth is Swicy? It's sweet-spicy, the flavour of hot honey that's being drizzled all over desserts and snacks.

What's Swalty? It's sweet-salty. The limit does not exist. There's spicy + sour; a spicy, sweet AND sour triad. And Fricy, fruit-and-spice mixes.

In the food industry, these mashups “go beyond the flavours we're used to, but still feel familiar,” says chef Hina Gujral. “Chefs used to hesitate to tamper with classic taste profiles. Now, we're thinking about food in more playful, experimental terms.”

As with music, fashion and business, not every collab lands, not every mashup is a hit. Before you stick your tongue out, be prepared for surprises.