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It’s sweet yet spicy. It’s new, yet nostalgic. When it comes to food and beverage flavors in 2026, consumers want a little bit of everything. This is true even when these preferences are conflicting.
Unique flavor and texture combinations are expected to dominate grocery stores this year as social media trends and a home cooking renaissance make consumers more adventurous. Consumers, especially Gen Z, are looking for the unexpected in globally inspired flavors or unusual combinations they might never have thought of.
“People don’t want to compromise,” said Mike Van Houten, Nestlé’s vice president of commercial operations. “People want to experiment. They want things that surprise and delight.”
And the more surprising the better. According to Van Houten, Nestlé’s internal research found that nearly half of consumers said that exciting new flavors would make them try a product and choose a brand for the first time.
But despite the growing interest in strange or unexpected foods and drinks, consumers still want the nostalgic tastes they grew up with. In drinks, snacks and sweet desserts, unexpected or better-for-you ingredients are added with nostalgic flavors to give products a “new” twist.
Layers of flavor and texture
Demand for unexpected and subtle flavor combinations is expected to grow significantly by 2026.
As consumers add depth and nuance to food, ‘Swish’ (sweet and spicy) is expected to evolve into trends such as ‘Swaggy’ (spicy, sweet, tangy) and ‘Swabori’ (spicy, sweet, umami).
For example, the evolution of trends such as “swish” increasingly emphasizes the importance of texture and texture. Consumers are looking for dynamic sensory experiences in food that encompass more than just taste.
According to Van Houten, velvety textures and flavors, such as creamy pistachio, are defining the coffee creamer space, where customization and layered flavors are most prominent. More consumers are adding creamer to their soft drinks, creating “dirty sodas” with varying levels of color, texture, and layers of flavor.
“It’s a layering of visual aesthetics and complex flavors,” Van Houten said. It also allows consumers to feel entertained and add more visual enjoyment to their sensory experience.
“If you’ve ever had a cold brew coffee and poured cream on it, there’s something magical about watching the cream float through the coffee,” he said.
A similar trend is playing out in candy stores, where breakout star Nerds Gummy Clusters have found sweet success with their combination of crunchy and sticky textures. Freeze-dried candy, expected to be a $2.4 billion market by 2030, has become another way for confectionery brands to offer bold flavors with surprising crunch.
Innovation and variety of flavors have led to a surge in demand for non-chocolate candies such as lollipops, gummies, and licorice. A Mintel study cited by Sensient Flavors & Extracts found that among consumers who increased their consumption of non-chocolate candy, about 40% thought chocolate offered a greater variety of flavors.
“Confectionery manufacturers are balancing tradition with forward thinking as each generation finds their own way to put their own stamp on the subcategory,” John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association, said in a statement. “With new flavors, fresh formats and unique experiences, these companies are delighting consumers of all ages.”
Tropical fruits and foraged flavors dominate.
Consumers are preferring more complex, global flavors with a health halo, which is driving demand for berries, botanicals and tropical fruits.
Native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, blackcurrants have been named McCormick’s 2026 Flavor of the Year. Dark sweet cherries top T. Hasegawa’s list of flavor trends. And dragon fruit, which has traditional roots in Asian markets, has been selected for its outstanding taste by the Kerry Group.
These fruits are vibrant and complex and offer an exciting yet accessible way for consumers to try new flavors. As fruit and gut health become more intertwined, there is an opportunity for brands to use tropical profiles like guava and passionfruit and create better innovations, according to Dole.
Woody berry, botanical and other nature-inspired flavors are also becoming increasingly popular. More than half of consumers associate “foraged” flavors with innovation and adventure, according to Datassential data cited by Torani, and herbal profiles can add a subtle layer of flavor without being overpowering. Torani’s 2026 Flavor of the Year is Forest Pine, a blend of flavors of pine, ginger, and sage.
Tropical fruits from Asia or forested berries from Norway also speak to the demand for globally inspired flavors. As more and more consumers see food as a way to learn more about culture and traditions, fruit offers something new while maintaining the familiar.
“Cultural currency is changing the way we eat and drink, transforming taste from simple preference to emotional benefit and sensory escape,” Mike Secor, vice president of marketing for Dole Packaged Foods US, said in a statement. “Consumers want accessible ways to enhance their daily lives, and fruit has emerged as a versatile ingredient for this evolution.”
Be nostalgic but make it new
According to Nestlé’s Van Houten, combining new and old can act as a gateway for consumers to try different flavors or ingredients in an accessible way.
Consumers may not know what harissa or Chinese five-spice are, but they are attracted to these flavors because of their “unique combination of the familiar, the old and the new,” Nestlé’s Van Houten said.
But amid the dizzying array of new flavor mashups and innovations, many consumers want to stick to the comforting, nostalgic formulas they know and love.
In its trends report, Mintel said that in 2026, many customers will romanticize the past as a refuge from a ‘volatile, artificially intelligent world’. Accordingly, consumers are preferring trustworthy heritage brands.
People don’t want to compromise. They want things that surprise and delight.
Mike Van Houten
Vice President of Commercial Excellence at Nestlé
In a beverage category saturated with new players and better options, RC Cola and Mr. Heritage brands like Pibb have tried to stand out by relying on simplicity.
Classic soda flavors like lemon lime and cherry are popular, according to a report from Flavorman. Colas and Shirley Temples are also making a comeback, and many companies are using these flavor profiles while adding functional ingredients to create “better-for-you” twists on nostalgic favorites.
Poppi launches Shirley Temple, adding “sparkle” to its iconic flavor with prebiotics and lower sugar. Stiller’s Soda, founded by actor Ben Stiller, also promotes nostalgic flavors with lower sugar content to provide better enjoyment to consumers.
According to Scott Dicker, Spins’ director of market insights, these “in the news” products create an acceptable indulgence for consumers that can draw them back to the soda category.
“There’s still this idea of indulgence, but it’s just about being more intentional about when and how you get indulgence,” he said.
