Supermarket Perimeter - February 2025 - 38

Cheese
SWEET
hEAt
By Hayley Hyer
SWEET HEAT - ALSO KNOWN AS " SWICY " - CONTINUES TO BE A
TOP FLAVOR TREND across all food categories, especially in cheese.
Cheeses with bold, complex flavors offer consumers excitement and
variety. In its 2025 Wisconsin Cheese Trends report, The Dairy Farmers
of Wisconsin (DFW) said 40% of consumers are " impressed by rich
flavors that enhance their food and beverage experience. "
Citing Circana data from the 52 weeks ended Dec. 1, 2024, DFW said
cheeses used in global cuisines, such as paneer, burrata and queso
quesadilla, jumped in sales 34%, 32.1%, and 22.8%, respectively.
DFW said this points to an increased interest in global cuisines and
sweet heat flavors, as those cheeses are often used in global recipes
with that flavor combination.
" With rising interest in these diverse cheeses, consumers are eager
to explore new tastes and cuisines from around the world, " the DFW
report said. " Wisconsin crafts 50% of the nation's specialty cheese and
frequently highlights these international varieties, blending tradition
with innovation. In 2025, we expect to see continued interest in heat
and spice, with consumers using Wisconsin Cheeses to elevate recipes
authentically. "
A great way for cheese manufacturers to develop new flavors is to
look at the other ingredients consumers are using with plain cheeses
when cooking.
In the fall of 2024, Saputo Dairy USA released a collaboration with
Mike's Hot Honey, a Hot Honey Goat Cheese in its Montchevre line.
38 - FEBRUARY 2025
Mike Kurtz, founder of Mike's Hot Honey, said the brand mashup was
inspired by his own habit of cooking recipes using goat cheese with his
hot honey. He then discovered that he wasn't the only one who loved
that combination.
" I have always loved adding a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey to goat
cheese because the combination of honey and chili peppers pairs
so well with the cool creaminess of the cheese, " Kurtz said. " It made
perfect sense for Montchevre to add a kick of sweet heat to their
product so consumers can enjoy the delicious taste in the same bite. "
According to Grubhub's 2024 Delivered Report, consumers are
putting hot honey on everything.
" Sweet spicy, and everything nice - swicy delivered the most for
diners' taste buds, " Grubhub said. " Swicy took the nation by storm,
mixing the best of both worlds - sweet and spicy - into everything
from summer drinks to snacks and spirits. Why settle for one when you
can have the best of both? This irresistible combo wasn't just a trend -
it was a full-blown movement. In fact, hot honey purchases surged by
30% in Grubhub grocery stores orders, proving that Americans were all
in on swicy. "
Consumers who already cook with individual ingredients like hot
honey and goat cheese can appreciate the convenience of having the
unique flavor ready to enjoy from the package. Consumers who are
less confident in their cooking skills also benefit from simplifying the
ingredients required to try new recipes.
supermarketperimeter.com
Aliex - stock.adobe.com, Montchevre, Athenos
It's hard to go
wrong partnering
with super-popular
Mike's Hot Honey.
http://www.supermarketperimeter.com
Supermarket Perimeter - February 2025

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