‘Swicy’ hot honey is ‘here to stay’

When hot honey burst onto the food scene about five years ago, it was “something unusual” to drizzle over pizza or use as a meat or halloumi glaze, said Lucy Knight in The Guardian. But now the demand for it has “gone a bit crazy”.

It’s all about its “swicy” – sweet and spicy – appeal. For Gen Z in particular, “swiciness reigns supreme”. And even brands like Walkers and Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut have jumped on board, with limited-edition hot-honey-flavoured crisps and cornflakes.

It’s definitely the “buzzy new flavour sheriff in town”, said Abha Shah in The Standard. Hot honey is versatile and a very “approachable way to enjoy chilli”. Much like salted caramel, a mixed-sensation trailblazer, you get the best of both worlds: a sweetness that isn’t too sickly, and a spiciness that isn’t going to knock your head off. This is perfect for those who might normally be “scared off by too much heat”, Waitrose’s Emilie Wolfman told the paper.

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Hot honey may have “made waves” in the food industry but it does split opinion, said Alice Reynolds in The Independent. It’s “arguably the new Marmite” because people “either hate it or can’t get enough.” Either way, “it’s here to stay’.

There are also some concerns that the hot honey boom could cause the market to become “flooded” with lower-quality products, said Knight in The Guardian. Fake honey – bulked out with sugar syrup – is on the rise. When new food trends are identified, people will “try to cut corners to get a better margin”, Ben Lippett, co-founder of Dr Sting’s hot honey, told the paper.

You can easily make it yourself: just put some honey in a pan over a low heat and then add dried chilli flakes (or diced fresh chilli) and a little vinegar or hot sauce. Simmer gently and then allow to coo. Strain the chilli out before serving or, if you like a bit of punch, leave it in.

If you’d rather buy it from the professionals, the “acacia and Pasilla chilli pepper rendition” in Daylesford Hot Chilli Honey, £15, is a seductive luxury choice, said Shah in The Standard: “plonk it dead centre on your cheeseboard after supper” to get your “guests’ tongues wagging”. Or you could spice up your sweet barbecue sauce with M&S Hot Honey Sauce, £2: “perfect as a grilled chicken-wing dip”.