Translating to ‘yellow chili pepper’ in English, the Aji Amarillo is a pepper that’s native to South America and a key ingredient in Peruvian cuisine. However, the pepper has set its sights on the world at large, emerging in drinks, entrees, and appetizers, along with other F&B categories in recent months.
Although its name is a bit misleading, as it turns more orange than yellow with maturity, the Aji Amarillo pepper offers a unique flavor marked with fruity, tropical notes similar to mango and passion fruit. It also supplies a dose of moderate heat ranging from 30,000-50,000 Scoville Heat Units.
McCormick expects to see the vibrant pepper enjoy menu growth of roughly 59% in the next four years, and it will likely play an integral role in that endeavor given that the spice manufacturer is launching a new Aji Amarillo Seasoning sold exclusively online for a limited time beginning in early February.
“Our Flavor of the Year, Aji Amarillo, is the true embodiment of flavors that pack a punch. Its versatility lends itself to diverse applications,” said Hadar Cohen Aviram, McCormick executive chef and senior manager, culinary development, U.S. Consumer, in a press release.
Here are a couple of additional flavor trends that also earned a spot on McCormick’s 2025 list.
A Taste of the Tropics
“Travel with your taste buds and go on a paradise adventure fueled by warm-weather flavors and cuisines. From colorful tropical fruits, vegetables, and seafood to island and beach cuisines, this trend is your ticket to paradise,” reads the landing page for the 25th edition of McCormick’s Flavor Forecast.
It also provides culinary inspiration and recipes for tropically inspired eats and drinks, including:
- Crispy Crepes with Spicy Seafood Salad
- Coconut Shrimp Bowls with Guava BBQ Sauce
- Banana Guava Coconut Bread Pudding
- Mango Sticky Rice Coconut Punch
Tropical flavors have also emerged in the ice cream sector lately. Wanderlust Creamery, for instance, makes innovative flavors like Sticky Rice + Mango and Passion Fruit Cacao.
While using tropical flavors in mixed drinks is nothing new for bars, restaurants, or beverage brands, they’ve been increasingly turning to lesser-known ingredients like the lulo, a South American fruit with a sour, herbaceous flavor often described as a cross between lime and rhubarb, to add depth and excitement to mocktails and cocktails.
The calamansi, an exceptionally tart citrus hybrid primarily cultivated in the Philippines, is another example of a tropical ingredient showing up in everything from broths and beverages to preserves and marinades lately.
Charred and Smoky
Increased adoption of cooking techniques like charring, smoking, and caramelizing that highlight the natural flavor characteristics of a particular dish or ingredient is another 2025 trend forecasted by McCormick.
“From veggies and cocktails to desserts and sauces, playing with fire has never been hotter,” reads its blurb on McCormick’s landing page, offering recipes for a Charred Plum Crostini, Smoked Strawberry Negroni Spritz, and Blackened Halibut with a Smoky Cream Sauce, as well as an ice cream recipe featuring the flavors of lemon, toasted meringue, and burnt rosemary butter.
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