What is changing in hot and spicy food preferences? Kalsec’s 2026 research shows that global interest in heat remains strong, but consumers increasingly want more than intensity. They are looking for specific pepper flavors, clear heat expectations, convenient formats and experiences tailored to different occasions and markets.
- 66% of consumers say they are eating spicier food than they were a year ago, up from 51% in 2019.
- 81% enjoy medium heat or above, shifting the opportunity from simply adding intensity to shaping the source, sensation and flavor of heat.
- Afternoon is now the leading occasion for spicy food, while instant noodles have overtaken sauces as the application consumers are most willing to try with heat.
- 77% want heat level communicated before trial, making clear packaging language and visual cues essential.
The answer kept moving in the same direction. In 2019, 51% of consumers said they were eating spicier food than the year before. That rose to 61% in 2021 and 65% in 2024. In the newest study, the number reached 66%.
That one-point increase might not look dramatic on its own, but the rest of the data makes the story more interesting. For the fifth edition of the study, Beyond the Burn: The Next Degree, Kalsec surveyed 9,000 consumers across 17 countries, adding a new Middle East and Africa cohort while continuing to build on years of comparative research from other regions.
The broader picture is not one of a category losing momentum. It is one of a category becoming more mature.
Most consumers no longer need convincing that they enjoy heat. Eighty-one percent now say they enjoy food at a medium heat level or above. At the same time, more consumers are paying attention to the actual source of that heat, which suggests that the experience itself is becoming more important than simply moving higher on an intensity scale.
For product developers, that changes the conversation. The questions are becoming more specific: which pepper belongs in the product, what kind of sensation should it create, how long should it linger, what else should it contribute to the flavor profile, and how clearly should that experience be communicated before purchase?
How do heat preferences differ by generation and region?
Heat preferences vary by both age and market. Gen Z was the only generation to increase its preference for heat compared with 2024, while Gen X and Boomers moved in the other direction. Older consumers are also more likely to want information about how long heat will linger, suggesting that control and manageability matter alongside intensity.
Regional differences add another layer. The research shows distinct motivations across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the newly measured Middle East and Africa markets. In some places, heat is tied closely to customization. In others, discovery, authenticity, quality or the social experience carry more weight. That matters because a formulation may travel well while the story around it does not. The same product can be solving a different need depending on the market.
When are consumers choosing spicy food?
Consumers are now most likely to choose spicy food in the afternoon. For the first time in the survey’s history, afternoon overtook evening as the preferred time, with 50% choosing the afternoon—a 20% increase from 2024.
That movement changes more than the clock. It raises questions about format, portability, portion size and convenience, especially as spicy food continues to move into products that fit a faster eating occasion.
Instant noodles have now overtaken sauces as the application consumers are most willing to try heat in, while the study also reveals an interesting overlap between scratch cooking and convenience. Two-thirds of consumers say they prefer cooking from scratch, three in five say they prefer buying premade spicy foods, and 80% want hot and spicy products that can be used across multiple dishes. Rather than contradicting one another, those findings point toward products that help people feel involved in making the meal without requiring them to build every part of it themselves.
Which spicy flavor combinations are growing?
Sweet and spicy remains the most popular pairing, but floral, bitter, citrus and tangy combinations are gaining ground. This growth gives product developers more room to build heat around flavor discovery rather than relying on familiar sweet-heat profiles alone.
Seven in ten consumers actively seek out spicy flavor combinations. Sweet and salty were the only pairings to decline from 2024, reinforcing the opportunity to explore a broader range of complementary flavors. The more useful part of the research is not simply seeing which combination ranks first. The report looks at how those pairings behave across applications, where interest is moving, and which pepper varietals consumers say they want to try next.
That is especially valuable at the front end of innovation, when the goal is not simply to validate what is already popular, but to understand where the next opening may be forming.
Why does heat labeling matter?
Heat labeling matters because 77% of consumers want to understand a product’s heat level before trying it. Yet common descriptors do not always set a consistent expectation: the word “mild” splits consumers almost evenly between those expecting moderate, noticeable heat and those expecting something much lighter.
That creates a simple but important problem. A product can perform exactly as intended and still disappoint because the consumer expected something different before the package was opened.
The full report looks more closely at the words, scales, colors and visual cues people use to understand heat, and how those signals can influence both trial and repeat purchase.
What does the 2026 research tell us so far?
Are consumers still eating spicier food? Yes. Sixty-six percent say they are eating spicier food than they were a year ago, compared with 51% in 2019. The pace of growth has slowed, but the category remains strong.
Is the opportunity still about making products hotter? Not necessarily. Eighty-one percent already enjoy medium heat or above, while interest in the specific source and character of heat is increasing. The opportunity is becoming more specific and more experiential.
Are sweet and spicy combinations still leading? Yes, but some of the fastest-growing pairings are happening elsewhere. Floral, bitter, citrus and tangy are all gaining ground, which opens up new territory for product development.
Why does heat labeling matter so much? Because 77% of consumers say they need to understand heat level before a first purchase, and familiar descriptors are not always being interpreted consistently.
Those answers only begin to show what is happening underneath the topline. The full 28-page study goes deeper into generational movement, regional differences, eating occasions, product formats, pepper preferences, flavor combinations, packaging expectations and the implications for development teams.
After ten years of asking whether consumers want heat, that question is largely settled. The more useful question now is what they want heat to do, and the 2026 research suggests the answers are becoming much more specific. The report describes that shift as heat moving ‘from a feature to a craft,’ which may be the clearest way to capture where the category is heading.
Beyond the Burn: The Next Degree brings that full picture together for anyone working on what comes next.
