From pumpkin spice to gingerbread, the food aisles are full of the usual autumnal flavours as we usher in the cosier months.
But there’s a new supermarket trend turning up the heat – and you’ll find it in everything from pizza toppings to popcorn.
This season, ‘swicy’ foods are all the rage (that’s a combination of ‘sweet and spicy’).
They’re calculated to tickle our tastebuds. Spicy chillies contain a compound called capsaicin that binds to receptors in your tastebuds, causing that burning sensation when you eat spicy food.
But in a swicy dish, the heat is tempered by sugar, which coats your tongue and quenches the fire – leaving a sweet, pleasant after-taste. The two flavours enhance each other, and keep you coming back for more.
It also means swicy food is more accessible to those who are cautious when it comes to spice, while still appealing to those who can handle a hot curry.
This season, ‘swicy’ foods are all the rage (that’s a combination of ‘sweet and spicy’)
Among these popular swicy foods is hot honey – made by infusing regular honey with chilli peppers – which is taking the foodie world by storm. Searches for ‘hot honey’ on Ocado have increased by 273 per cent since last year.
Kathryn Turner, director of product development at M&S Food, insists the flavour is not a fad.
‘In my view, it’s gaining as much traction as salted caramel did,’ she adds. Which means swicy could be here to stay.
It’s even got its own social media following: videos with the hashtag #hothoney have amassed nearly a million views on TikTok.
Meanwhile, wannabe chefs showcase their own ‘swicy’ recipes – everything from pasta sauces to spicy peach jam and crunchy chickpea snacks.
So which swicy foods will give you a kick, and which are too hot to handle? Sarah Rainey puts the best supermarket offerings to the test.
SWICY DOUBLE
Waitrose hot honey chicken bites, £4.50
THE PRODUCT: Chicken and hot honey is a popular combination, but these have a double whammy of heat: the chunks of British chicken breast are coated in salt and chilli breadcrumbs, and there’s a spicy honey sauce to pour over the top as they cook.
They take just 15 minutes to cook in the oven and the pack size is perfect for two to share as a snack.
TASTE TEST: Sticky, sweet and packed full of chilli heat, these little bites really pack a punch.
The chicken inside is succulent and tender, while the coating is crunchy and nicely spiced. I could have done with a bit more sauce (and maybe a bite or two more for the price) but the taste is finger-licking good.
VERDICT: Delicious and moreish; a proper at-home ‘fakeaway’. 5/5
TURN UP THE HEAT
Asda hot honey bacon loin steaks, £3.50
THE PRODUCT: These chunky pork loins come with a ‘hot honey butter melt’, to be poured over the steaks. There are two per pack and they’re on the table in 18 minutes: you grill them first, for that caramelised bacon flavour, and then finish in a roasting dish with the butter.
There’s a new supermarket trend turning up the heat – and you’ll find it in everything from pizza toppings to popcorn (stock image)
They boast rave reviews online, with one shopper begging Asda to sell the hot honey sauce on its own in a jar. The pork’s not British, though, so that’s a mark off already.
TASTE TEST: There’s a risk pork loins can be tough and chewy, but these pass the tender test. They are a little on the small side, but the buttery sauce – made from honey, red chillies, chilli powder and brown sugar – is plentiful. They pair nicely with a green salad and potatoes, and the flavour is gently spiced rather than fiery.
VERDICT: An original take on the trend – but they could do with more heat. 3/5
POSH AND FIERY
Tesco Finest salsiccia piccante pizza with hot honey, £4.75
THE PRODUCT: A hand-stretched, wood-fired pizza, topped with spicy salami, red chilli rings and mozzarella pearls, this is one of the more gourmet supermarket offerings. It comes with a sachet of hot honey sauce, which is designed to be drizzled over the pizza before serving.
TASTE TEST: The pizza is generously topped, and the crust – made with top-quality 00 flour – is crisp and golden. There’s plenty of salami and chilli pieces right to the edge.
The combination of spice, creamy cheese and fresh parsley sprinkled on top is a taste sensation, and the honey drizzle adds sticky sweetness, as well as intensifying the flavour.
I used a little too much, meaning my sensitive palate couldn’t taste much else.
VERDICT: A posh pizza, but drizzle sparingly if you can’t handle heat. 4/5
MISSING SPICE
Morrisons slow-cooked hot honey pork ribs, £5
THE PRODUCT: It’s Sunday roast season again and these slow-cooked ribs – made for two – look ideal for cosy autumnal feasting. Most of the hard work has been done for you: the rack of pork ribs has already been slow-cooked for hours before being frozen, so it just needs half an hour in the oven.
From pumpkin spice to gingerbread, the food aisles are full of the usual autumnal flavours as we usher in the cosier months
There’s a chilli breadcrumb topping and hot honey sauce made with red chillies.
TASTE TEST: My expectations were high, but the ribs inside are smaller than I’d hoped, and what I serve up looks nothing like the glossy image on the front of the packet.
There’s a sticky, almost barbecue-like flavour to the ribs, and the crumb topping adds a lovely crunch. However, I barely get any heat; the spiciness seems to have been lost completely.
There is one saving grace: I can serve the leftovers to my kids, who devour them.
VERDICT: A sugary Sunday lunch without the kick. 2/5
SUPER SUGARY
M&S hot honey caramel popcorn, £1.65
THE PRODUCT: A rare predominantly sweet take on the ‘swicy’ trend, this popcorn is caramelised with cayenne pepper and mixed with chocolate honeycomb pieces.
The spice rating on the packet is medium, so it’s unlikely to blow my socks off.
It looks tantalisingly good, but a closer look at the ingredients list reveals it’s packed full of sugar: the 106g pack contains almost 500 calories.
TASTE TEST: The popcorn pieces are good: crunchy on the outside, slightly sticky with caramel, and airy in the middle. The spice is pleasant, not too intense, and tastes like pepper.
But the real stars of the show are the mouth-watering nuggets of honeycomb, covered in velvety milk chocolate, and I find myself digging through the packet to find them.
VERDICT: A tasty one-off but not sure I’d try this again. 3/5
NOT MUCH BANG
Aldi Specially Selected hot honey pork sausages, £2.49
THE PRODUCT: Unlike bog-standard bangers, these pork sausages – made from British pork – are infused with honey, red peppers and jalapeno chilli, giving them an almost-orange hue.
They come in a pack of six and you can cook them under the grill or in the air fryer in 15 minutes.
TASTE TEST: Sizzling hot and smelling delicious, the end result looks good.
There’s hardly any fat on the bottom of my grill pan, suggesting the pork inside is top-notch, and they’re flecked with herbs such as coriander, oregano and paprika.
I’m not expecting a lot of heat – the chilli rating on the packet says ‘mild’ – but I’m disappointed by the flavour. There’s a slight hint of sweetness, but no spice whatsoever. Overall, they’re a bit bland.
VERDICT: Decent sausages, but neither hot nor honey-flavoured.2/5
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