2026年零食风味：全球影响与融合 SNACKING FLAVORS FOR 2026 Global influences and infusions

SNACKING

FLAVORS

BOOSTSIMMUNITY+11%

UMAMI+15%

SWICY+14%

FOR2026

Partof

Globalinfluencesandinfusions

SNACKINGFLAVORSFOR2026

Asthesnackingaislebecomesabattlegroundforbrands,fiercelycompetingforthehearts,mindsandtastebudsofsnackers,flavorinnovationremainstheultimateweapon.

Anewflavoristhepromiseofanewsensoryexperience.Anewedibleadventure.

Andglobalinfluencesarepushingflavorexperimentationtonewfrontiers.

Deliveryappsandfoodinfluencershavemadeglobalcuisinesanddiverseculinarycultures

moreaccessible.

Assuch,Asian,MiddleEastern,MediterraneanandMexicanflavortrendsarepermeatingthesnackingspace.

Inthisreport,wewillbeanalyzingtheflavorlandscapeinUSAsnacking.

Wewillexploretheemergingtrendsand

opportunitiesforbrandsin2026andbeyond.

SNACKINGFLAVORSFOR2026

BlackSwanDataisnowpartofMintel.

Together,weofferthemostcompleteandpredictiveviewofconsumerbehavior.

Theinsightsinsidethisreportdonotcomefromsurveys,panelsorfocusgroups.

OurtechappliesAIandpredictiveanalyticstomillionsofsocialandonlinepoststounderstandconsumer

behavior.

Itidentifiesfutureconsumerneedsandpredictsgranular-leveltrendswith89%accuracy.

LeadingCPGbrandsareleveragingthisdatatomakefaster,moreconfident,evidence-drivendecisions

alongeachstageoftheinnovationprocess.

42K

BLACKSWANDATA

SEASALT+9%

12K

100K

SNACKINGFLAVORSFOR2026

Ourdataexplained

Ourplatformandconsultancyispowered

byouruniquedata,methodologyandmetrics.

Howdoesitwork?

Ourplatformretrievesalltherelevantconsumerpostsinacategory;inthisexample,61+

millionpostsrelatedtosnackingintheUSA.

WeuseAIanddatasciencetoisolateallthe

individualtrendingtopicsandbehaviorsand

understandhowtheyclusterandladder-upintocategorygrowthdrivers.

Thisdynamicsegmentationframeworkis

refreshedmonthlyandevolvesasconsumersandthecategoryevolves.

TPV#24

Metrics

TrendPredictionValue(TPV)

Rankseverytrendbasedonitsfuturegrowthpotential.

Volume

Totalnumberofuniquepostsovera2-yeartimeframe.

Growth

Theyear-on-yearincreaseordecreaseinconversationvolumearoundatrend.

11

GrowthDrivers

38

Sub-Drivers

8,925

Trends

61,722,594

OnlineandSocialDataPoints

TPV#321

TPV#4

BLACKSWANDATA

SNACKINGFLAVORSFOR2026

USASnacking

Aromatic

NuttyChocolate

Sweet

MATURE

Highvolumewith

negligiblerateofgrowth

CheesyFruity

flavors

Ourdatahasidentified11

PredictedTrendGrowth

Umami

primaryflavorplatformsinUSASnacking.

We'vemappedthembasedontheirsizeandfuturegrowthpotential.

Citrus

Thisframeworkcanactasaroadmapfor

Floral

innovation–revealingwhatflavorstomoveonNOWorNEXT.

Spicy

Withineachplatformtherearepocketsandopportunitiesfornovel,finger-lickingflavorinnovations.

Earthy

Particularlyasglobalinfluencesbegintodisruptthesnackingcategory.

DECLINING

EMERGING

Lowvolumewith

positiverateofgrowth

GROWING

Highvolumewith

positiverateofgrowth

Inthisreport,wewillanalyzetheshiftsandevolvingtastepreferencesintwoplatforms,SpicyandUmami.

Highvolumewith

negativerateofgrowth

BLACKSWANDATA

Spicy

BLACKSWANDATA

-

BLACKSWANDATA

FLAVORDEEPDIVE

InsideSpicy

Spicyisnolongerjustaboutheat.Consumerswantcomplexityandmorenuancedheatexperiences.

Spicyflavoredsnacksremainverypopular.ThegrowinginfluenceofLatinAmericanandAsiancuisineshavenormalizedspicyfoods.

GenZandMillennialshavegrownupwithglobalflavors.Heatisafamiliarpartoftheirdiet.

Spicysnacksprovideasensorythrill.Triggeringendorphins,dopamineandamildbutaddictivepain-pleasureeffect.

YouTubeshowslikeHotOneshavemadespicyfoodfunandinteractive.

Consumersalsoconnectspicywithhealthbenefits,frommetabolismbooststoimproveddigestion.

Butsnackers'palatesareevolving.Theriseofglobalflavorslikegochujangandsuyahaveopenedtheirtastebudstomoresweet,smokyandfermentedspices.

Snackersarealsoexploringnewsensorytexturessuchaslayered,slow-burnheatorcoolandspicycombinations.

The'swicy'trendisjustthebeginning.

NOWANDNEXT

Trendstowatch

Consumersaresplitbetweenmildheatloversanddaredevilswhowanttobreathefire–butbotharelookingforcustomizableoptions.

Arangeofglobalchilitrendsaresurfacing,fromMexicanguajillochilistoNorthAfricanHarissaandAsianoptions.

Consumersarelookingtodifferentcuisinestofindthelevelandflavorofheatthatsuitsthem.

Somelikeithot.Othersmild.Balanceisthekey.Formatsarealsobecomingmoreimportant.

Avarietyofspicyformatsaretrending,includingpowders,sauces,fermentedpastesanddriedchilis.

WhilecondimentslikeSrirachaandHotHoneyremainpopular,KoreanpastesmadefromGochugaruanddriedproductshaveanupwardstrajectory.

Theseformatsaremoreconvenient-remainingfreshforlonger.Theyarealsoeasiertocustomize.

Towininthisspace,brandsshouldn'tjustprioritizevaryingheatlevelsfordifferenttolerances.

Butversatileproductsthatsnackerscanpersonalize–anduseasrubs,marinades,dips,orsauces.

IngredientsassociatedwithSpicy,USASnacking(Dec2022–Dec2024)

ACTNEXT

(12-36months)

ACTNOW

(0-12months)

RedPeppercorn

#1911

GochugaruChilli

#2146

ChipotleChilliPaste

#2258

Chamoy

#130

LemonPepper

#289

GuajilloChilli

#320

Harissa

#367

Shishito

#338

HotHoney

#759

Wasabi

#943

Sriracha

#1321

SHISHITO+15%

Jalapeño

#338

AnchoChilli

#346

ChipotleChili

#462

PinkPeppercorn

#694

SichuanPepper

#1065

EMERGING

Lowvolumewithpositiverateofgrowth

GROWING

Highvolumewithpositiverateofgrowth

MATURE

Highvolumewithnegligiblerateofgrowth

INGREDIENTDEEPDIVE

-

HotHoney

Globalinfluencesandthepremiumizationofcondimentshaveturnedaniche

ingredientintoarampantflavortrend.

USconsumerswanthothoneyoneverything.

Whatstartedasapizzatoppingandawingcoatingisnowmovingintonuts,chipsandpopcorn.

Theriseofhothoneyhasglobalroots.

Asconsumerslookedformorecomplexityinspicyflavors,spicy-sweetorswicyflavorslikechamoyandgochujangexploded.

Thisbold,versatileandsensory-richingredientisasimplewaytoampuptheflavorofblandfoods.

It'seasytomake,customizeandcontroltheheatlevels.Justaddchiliflakesorhotsaucetohoney.

Brandscanusehothoneyasaplatformtoexploreconsumers'growinginterestincomplexheatandglobalcuisines.

Thereisanopportunitytoinfuseregionalchilisandsauceswithhoney.Andevenothersweetsyrups.

Trendsconsumersassociatewith

HotHoney

SensoryExperience

TPV#356

Vol:92,344

Growth:-7%

Chili-Infused

TPV#541

Vol:349

Growth:+3%

Mouthwatering

TPV#357

Vol:66,865

Growth:+8%

Swicy

TPV#186Vol:20,818

Growth:+14%

BLACKSWANDATA

Premium

TPV#293Vol:96,585

Growth:+5%

BRANDSPOTLIGHT

ImprovesGutHealth

TPV#75Vol:1,672

Growth:+21%

YellowBird

ProteinBoost

TPV#51

Vol:348

Growth:+31%

YellowBirdofferarangeofhotsaucesthatcombineglobalinfluenceswithvaryingheatlevelsandflavorcombinations.

They'reofferingabalancefordifferentpalatesandtolerances.

Umami

TPV#287Vol:21,314

Growth:+15%

Therangeincludestraditionalhotsauceslikehabaneroandjalapeño.Alongsidefieryoptionslikeghostpepper.

Trends

consumers

associatewith

YellowBird

YellowBirdhavealsolaunchedglobally-inspiredsauces,suchasasriracha(Thai)andaplumvariety(Cantonese).

Tasty

TPV#346

Vol:3,242,015

Growth:+1%

Thesrirachasauceincludesblueagavesyrup,combiningspicyandsweet.

Whilethegarlicshiitakehotsauceoffersamorerich,earthyoption.

Therangeisdesignedtosatisfyconsumersdesireformorecomplex,layeredheat.

BetterBrainHealth

TPV#130Vol:2,998

Growth:+2%

Buttherearemissedopportunities.YellowBirddonotnoteanyhealthbenefitsfromtheiringredients.Nordotheyhaveformatalternativesthatcouldappealtosnackers.

BLACKSWANDATA

BLACKSWANDATA

Umami

-

BLACKSWANDATA

FLAVORDEEPDIVE

InsideUmami

Consumers'desireformoresavory,lesssickly-sweetsnacksisdrivingtheirmovetowardsumami,Asian-inspiredflavors.

UmamicomesfromtheJapanesefor"pleasantsavorytaste".

Itdescribesadeep,savoryrichnessthatlingersonthepalate–naturallypresentinfoodslikeagedcheeses,curedmeatsandfermentedproducts.

Consumersaremovingtowardsumamisnacksbecausetheyofferdepthintastewithoutexcessivesalt,sugaroffats.

OurdatarevealsconsumersthinkmanyAmericansnacksareoversweet.

Umamiflavorsofferacrave-worthy,moreishandbalancedalternative.

Theumamicrazeisglobally-inspiredbutwithAsianroots.Gochujang,furikakeandtamarindflavorsareparticularlypopular.

Brandscanplayonthecleanlabelcredentialsofthesesnacks.

UmamiingredientsnaturallyenhanceflavorwithouttheneedforMSGorartificialenhancers.

Infusingtraditionalsnacks(likechipsorpopcorn)withmiso,soyorkombucanreframethesetreatsas'betterforyou'options.

NOWANDNEXT

Trendstowatch

DIYandat-homeexperimentationischanginghowconsumersexplore

umamiflavors.

ArangeofAsian,umamiingredientssurfaceinourdata.

FromseaweedslikeNoriandKelptosauceslikeSoyand

Tamari.

USconsumerslovebold,authenticAsianflavors.Andnowhavetheseingredientsintheirkitchencupboards.

Ourdatarevealstheyaremakinghomemadesavorysnackswithumamiflavorstoturnupthetasteintensity.

Manyoftheseumamiingredientsalsohavefunctionalproperties.

ReishiandShiitakemushroomsareimmune-boosting,whilefermentedingredientslikeKojiaregut-friendly.

Brandscantapintothis.Rightnow,flavorisintheforegroundofumamisnacks.Anythingfunctionalisinthebackground.

Leveragingthegut,mindandimmunitybenefitsofthese

ingredientsiskeyforsnackslookingtoplayinthe'betterforyou'space.

IngredientsassociatedwithUmami,USASnacking(Dec2022–Dec2024)

ACTNEXT

(12-36months)

ACTNOW

(0-12months)

Koji

#222

Kombu

#323

Lion'sManeMushroom

#501

SesameOil

#863

ShiitakeMushroom

#892

BLACKGARLIC

+13%

JapaneseMatcha

#934

BlackSesameTahini

#2176

Nori

#982

NutritionalYeast

#1045

BlackSesameSeed

#1163

EggYolk

#1198

Seaweed(Kelp)

#1277

SoySauce

#1352Tofu

#1524

BlackGarlic

#392

PorciniMushroom

#795

ReishiMushroom

#892

Tamari

#1051

Chapuline

#1469

Truffle

#1557

EMERGING

Lowvolumewithpositiverateofgrowth

GROWING

Highvolumewithpositiverateofgrowth

MATURE

Highvolumewithnegligiblerateofgrowth

-

INGREDIENTDEEPDIVE

BlackGarlic

BlackGarlicTrendsconsumersassociatewith

SensoryExperience

TPV#356Vol:92,344

Growth:-7%

BoostsImmunity

TPV#84Vol:1,783

Growth:+11%

Fermented

TPV#396

Vol:63,642

Growth:+20%

Umami

TPV#287Vol:21,314

Growth:+15%

Premium

TPV#293Vol:96,585

Growth:+5%

AstapleofAsiancuisine,thisingredientisapathwaytopremium,sensory-rich

snackswithafunctionalpunch.

Blackgarlicisnaturallyfermented,sohasaricher,mellowertastethanrawgarlic.

Itdeliversnotesofmolassesandbalsamic.Andisperfectforbalancingsalty,sweetandspicyflavors.

Brandsshouldprioritizethisingredientinflavorinnovationsasithitsmultipleconsumerneeds.

USconsumersconsiderittobeapremium,chef-inspiredingredient.Andtheywanthigh-endsnacks.

Theslowfermentationenhancesumamiwithoutartificialsoradditives.Soit'sacleanlabelingredientandalow-sodiumalternative.

Blackgarlicalsohasfunctionalproperties.It'srichinantioxidants,supportinghearthealthandimmunity.

Altogether,it'sanidealingredientforahealthy,bold-flavoredandglobally-inspiredsnack.

BLACKSWANDATA

BRANDSPOTLIGHT

ImprovesGutHealth

TPV#75Vol:1,672

Growth:+21%

PlantChi

PlantChi'splant-powered,

Tasty

TPV#346

Vol:3,242,015

Growth:+1%

superseedblendscanbeaddedtosnacksandmealstoelevateflavorandboostnutrients.

ProteinBoost

TPV#51

Vol:348

Growth:+31%

TheirrangeincludesUmamiWave,ablendofspirulina,dulseflakes,puffedamaranth,hempandsesameseeds.

Trends

consumers

associatewith

PlantChi

Whileumamiisaflavorfamily,PlantChiforegroundsthefunctionalimpactoftheingredients:

Umami

TPV#287Vol:21,314

Growth:+15%

"Eachsprinklesupportsyourbodyfrombraintoguttobone."

It'saprimeexampleofabrandfusingflavorthemeswithfunctionalingredientsto

differentiateinthe'betterforyou'space.

BetterBrainHealth

TPV#130Vol:2,998

Growth:+2%

Infusingumamiingredientsintosnacksgivebrandstheopportunitytopromisebigflavorsandbighealthgains.

BLACKSWANDATA

SNACKINGFLAVORSFOR2026

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