Celebrating Black Currant: Flavor of the Year

For more than 25 years, the McCormick Flavor Forecast® has been a trusted global guide for uncovering the emerging tastes, ingredients, and culinary influences shaping the future of food. Since its debut in 2000, this annual report has helped bring once niche flavours such as chipotle, pumpkin pie spice, ube, and Korean BBQ into mainstream menus and home kitchens. Today, it continues to inspire chefs, operators, and innovators across Canada and around the world.

Introducing the 2026 Flavor of the Year: Black Currant

For 2026, McCormick has named Black Currant as its Flavor of the Year a bold and vibrant berry celebrated for its deep colour, tart yet sweet profile, and remarkable versatility. With a rich heritage in European cuisine and growing popularity in North America, black currant is poised to make a major impact across foodservice categories, from beverages and bakery to sauces, entrees, and desserts.

This year’s featured flavour is inspired by McCormick’s three global trends for 2026:

1. Attainable Opulence

Consumers continue to seek memorable, elevated food experiences without the premium price tag. Black currant’s natural depth and complexity bring a sense of luxury to everyday menu items, whether used in glazes, dressings, or artisanal beverages.

2. Simple to Spectacular

Operators are looking for ingredients that deliver maximum impact with minimal effort. Black currant does exactly that: a small addition can transform a dish, adding bold acidity, colour, and a sophisticated flavour twist.

3. Sauce From Somewhere

Culinary storytelling continues to drive engagement. Black currant lends itself beautifully to globally inspired sauces from European-style reductions to modern fusion applications allowing chefs to build flavour-forward narratives that resonate with today’s diners.

By tapping into McCormick’s cutting-edge research, Foodbuy members gain early access to the flavours and trends that will define the next wave of consumer demand. This empowers operators to innovate confidently, develop relevant seasonal features, and differentiate their menus in a competitive market.

Through our partnerships and purchasing power, Foodbuy also makes it easier and more cost-effective for members to source on trend, high-impact ingredients like Black Currant helping you stay ahead of the curve while protecting your margins.

Foodbuy Chef Feature: Black Currant Recipe Inspiration

As black currant continues to gain momentum across menus, it also offers chefs and operators an opportunity to showcase its versatility through both modern and traditional applications. While black currant is often featured in contemporary beverages, sauces, and desserts, its roots in European baking and confectionery provide rich inspiration for menu development.

To highlight the ingredient, Foodbuy is featuring a classic preparation that demonstrates how black currant can elevate simple, comforting baked goods. Traditional Welsh cakes showcase the berry’s natural sweetness and subtle tartness, delivering a balanced flavour profile that feels both nostalgic and refined. This recipe is an excellent example of how operators can introduce globally inspired flavours in a familiar, guest-friendly format.

Foodbuy Chef Feature: Black Currant Recipe Inspiration (Traditional Welsh Cakes)

Flaky, tender, and almost melting on the palate, these Welsh cakes are dotted with sweet currants and finished with a subtle touch of mace for a truly unforgettable bite.

Servings: 15-20 Welsh cakes

Ingredients

240g all-purpose flour

67g granulated sugar

4g baking powder

2g ground mace or ground nutmeg

1 pinch of salt

1g ground cinnamon

115g butter, chilled and cubed

1 large egg, lightly beaten

80g dried currants

2-3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, mace, and cinnamon. Using your fingertips or a food processor, work in the butter until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Stir in the currants. Add the beaten egg and mix, incorporating just enough milk to form a soft dough. The dough should be supple, not wet or sticky. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. On a lightly floured or nonstick surface, roll the dough to about ¼inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter. (Whatever round cookie cutter you have is fine. I find the best size to aim for these Welsh cakes is about the size of a toonie). Gather the scraps, gently knead together, reroll, and cut the remaining rounds.
3. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and lightly butter it. Cook the cakes until lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes per side, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent overbrowning before the centers are cooked through.
4. Allow the cakes to cool briefly for about one minute then serve warm.