After Nashville Hot, Regional Spicy Flavors Seek a Wider Audience

Following the meteoric rise of Nashville hot in recent years, several other U.S. regional flavors could be primed to gain broader appeal amid growing interest in new spice varieties. 

Datassential’s Spicy Flavors report noted that while U.S. regional flavors “started with looking to major metros for their regional favorites … now any cities’ unique flavors are fair game.”

Along with Nashville hot, which has shot up on menus by more than 60% over the past four years, the report name checks giardiniera, a spicy Italian relish that has its own variety in Chicago. 

Other contenders include comeback sauce, a popular Southern condiment that has seen rising awareness — bolstered in part by its  addition this month at KFC.  

Comeback sauce gets its name from the repeat visits it has long inspired. A classic Southern condiment that originated in a restaurant in Jackson, Miss., it quickly became a signature sauce that customers returned for.

Datassential Menu Trends data shows comeback sauce has grown 33% on menus over the past four years, and it’s projected to grow another 48% over the next four.

On Datassential’s Dipping Sauces Menu Adoption Cycle (MAC), the sauce sits in the adoption stage. 

Awareness has risen by 4 percentage points, to 27%, over the past two years. Meanwhile, 59% of consumers who have tried Comeback Sauce say they love or like it, according to Datassential Consumer Preferences data.

Hatch chile, another regional flavor and a pepper grown exclusively in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, reflects a similar shift. Awareness has grown 3 percentage points, to 42%, over the past two years, with 19% of consumers saying they love it or like it – also up 2 points. Menu penetration, meanwhile, is projected to grow 28% over the next four years. 

Hatch chile also has been bolstered on social media, with mentions up 16% over the past 12 months, according to Datassential’s Social Listening data.