As we kick off 2026, it’s time to turn our taste buds to the exciting year ahead. Just as we were readying our shopping carts for beef tallow, prebiotic pasta and freezer-friendly crab rangoon, McCormick is giving us another of-the-moment ingredient to keep in mind on meal prep days. For its 26th annual Flavor Forecast, the brand named black currant as its 2026 Flavor of the Year.
McCormick’s 2026 Flavor of the Year Is So...2026
Pucker up, buttercup
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Updated Jan 5, 2026
McCormick
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In case you’re not familiar, black currants are a type of berry known for their tart yet sweet flavor profile. Punchier than your average blueberry, black currants embody the boldness of a blackberry grounded by a wine-like herbal earthiness, making them “a great compliment to creamier, milder flavors like vanilla custard or yogurt,” Candace Davison, VP of Editorial Content and recipe developer, tells me. Native to parts of central and northern Europe as well as northern Asia, the rich, dark flavor lends itself well to jams, juices, cocktails and more. Plus, as a nutritional “super berry,” black currants are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.
According to McCormick, black currants have been trending on menus and in kitchens globally, with the U.S. specifically praising it as the next "it" berry—so step aside, elderberry.
If you need more proof that this tangy flavor will reign supreme in 2026, the foodies over at T. Hasegawa USA (a global flavor manufacturer based in California) also selected dark sweet cherry as their predicted flavor of the year. Though different fruits, black currants and dark sweet cherries have similar complex flavor profiles—juicy, rich and tart—as well as naturally occurring nutrients that help support multiple health benefits.
Alongside the flavor of the year, McCormick also predicts that these three food trends will take off in 2026:
- Attainable Opulence: “Consumers are using extravagant treats and experiences as an escape, bringing elevated flavors into everyday life, not just special occasions.”
- Simple to Spectacular: “In a digital-forward world, people are finding beauty in the basics by cooking with care and using simple, quality ingredients combined with technique and time—with that, anything humble becomes a showstopper.”
- Sauce from Somewhere: “Flavor fluency is more common than ever. People are looking for ways to connect cultures, bring regional tastes of the world forward, and enhance daily meal routines through novel sauces, dips, drizzles and spreads that spark curiosity and inspire trial, connect cultures, and—above all—help create flavor exploration.”
McCormick
Want to get ahead of the curve? Here are five black currant recipes to get you started:
