McCormick is extending its 2026 Flavor of the Year beyond the spice aisle through limited collaborations, reflecting how food brands increasingly introduce emerging ingredients through familiar dining experiences.
McCormick is expanding its celebration of black currant, its 2026 Flavor of the Year, with a pair of limited-time collaborations designed to introduce the ingredient to a wider audience. Working with Prince St. Pizza and Go Greek Yogurt, the company is bringing the berry into dessert pizza and frozen yogurt, illustrating how flavour trends are increasingly being introduced through partnerships rather than packaged products alone. The initiative reflects a growing effort by food companies to encourage consumers to experience unfamiliar ingredients in approachable and unexpected formats.
For more than two decades, McCormick’s annual Flavor Forecast has sought to identify ingredients and taste profiles that could shape future menus and home cooking. As consumers have become more adventurous in their eating habits, brands have increasingly looked beyond traditional product launches to generate interest through restaurants, cafés, and experiential food offerings. These collaborations allow emerging flavours to reach consumers in settings where curiosity and experimentation often play a larger role in purchasing decisions.
The latest campaign begins with Prince St. Pizza, where a limited-edition Black Currant Big Apple Pie Pizza will be available throughout August. The dessert-inspired offering combines apple pie flavours with McCormick’s Black Currant Finishing Sugar, introducing the berry through a familiar comfort food. A second collaboration follows with Go Greek Yogurt, which will serve a black currant frozen yogurt flavour made with its high-protein, probiotic-rich base through late September. Alongside these partnerships, McCormick continues to offer its Sweet & Smoky Black Currant Seasoning and Black Currant Finishing Sugar for consumers interested in incorporating the ingredient into home cooking.
The campaign also highlights a broader evolution in food marketing, where ingredients are increasingly promoted through cultural moments rather than standalone products. Limited-time collaborations create opportunities for consumers to sample emerging flavours with relatively little commitment, while giving restaurant partners distinctive menu items that can generate conversation both in person and on social media. This approach reflects a wider emphasis on discovery and experience as drivers of food trends.
McCormick’s latest initiative demonstrates how flavour forecasting has become more than an exercise in predicting culinary preferences. By partnering with established food brands, the company is helping transform a forecasted trend into an accessible dining experience. The campaign illustrates how the modern food industry increasingly blends innovation, collaboration, and consumer curiosity to introduce the tastes that may shape future kitchens and menus.
