The combination of sweet and savory has long been a winning pair: Look no further than classics like prosciutto and melon, salted caramel, and honey barbecue sauce as examples. Today, flavor complexity is the name of the game with chefs discovering new opportunities to dial up the crave factor and excite their guests. They’re taking the sweet-to-savory trend to a new level. Chefs are introducing nuances within that flavor spectrum through high-impact ingredients and, sometimes, the infusion of other flavors, like heat, funk, bitter, smoke and sour.

Mychael Bonner, Chef/Partner of Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, illustrates this trend in his Margherita Pepperoni Pizza with a smoked jalapeño glaze. He strategically uses contrasting elements to bring depth of flavor and create a signature experience. Bonner starts by adding tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and Margherita Cup-and-Char Pepperoni to pizza dough. After baking, he spoons on a blend of Parmesan and whipped ricotta, then drizzles hickory-smoked jalapeño glaze (made by blending smoked peppers with reduced maple syrup and garlic, straining, then adding lime juice and sliced smoked peppers). He garnishes the pie with fresh basil and Parmesan.

This modern sweet-to-savory trend is ushering in a wave of creativity, with chefs exploring unexpected combinations that harmonize sweet with elements like savory, hot, bitter and fermented. By leveraging the interplay between contrasting tastes, textures and aromas, chefs are crafting menu items that excite the senses and leave a lasting impression.

Consumer interest in complex heat grew by +21% over 12 months
SOURCE: Spoonshot’s Trends 2023 and Beyond report (YOY July 2021-July 2022)

Tristen Epps’ Heirloom Carrots glazed with date and bacon syrup offer a complex flavor experience with rich, savory flavor from the bacon fat and sweet, fruity notes from the date molasses. Sherry vinegar balances out the glaze’s profile.

GLAZE OF GLORY

Sweet and savory glazes on meats have long been a go-to in professional kitchens, with pairings like brown sugar with bacon, maple syrup with sausage and honey with ham instantly recognizable by consumers as satisfying and delicious. Chefs often use techniques in veg-centric cookery that employ sweet-savory glazes and marinades, leveraging those layered flavors to boost the overall experience.

Tristen Epps, Chef/Owner of Epps & Flow Culinary in Miami, showcases a next-level glaze, using bacon fat and date molasses as surprise ingredients. He first renders Smithfield Bacon, cut into lardons, then removes the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan. He wraps al dente carrots in pitted dates, cooking them in the bacon fat and deglazing with sherry vinegar, then adds date molasses, reducing until sticky. When plating, he garnishes the carrots with blue cheese crumbles and finishes with a crack of black pepper.

ON THE MENU: THAT’S MY JAM

Bacon Jam Chicken Sandwich: Panko-breaded fried chicken breast with melted Swiss and habanero slaw, slathered with housemade bacon jam
—Bridge View Tavern, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

Bacon Jam Brisket Whopper: Flame-grilled beef patty, shredded brisket, melty American cheese, crispy onions, and a smoky, sweet bacon jam on a toasted sesame seed bun
—Burger King LTO in Las Vegas and Minneapolis
(April/May)

Pimento Cheeseburger on a sesame bun with bacon jam, house pickles, french fries and gochujang ketchup
—Succotash, Washington, D.C., and National Harbor, Md.

Meats are also being used in traditionally sweet formats, as seen with bacon jam, an increasingly popular sweet, smoky and salty condiment.

—Maeve, Webster, Menu Matters

This Mexican Hot Chocolate Mousse with Margherita Capicola showcases the sweet-savory trend, featuring pieces of salty capicola as a savory garnish and balancing the sweetness in a classic graham cracker crust with an umami-rich hit of rendered bacon fat.

SWEET SENSATIONS

Today, the dessert category is experiencing exciting innovation. Pastry chefs and menu developers are embracing the savory-sweet play—beyond the beloved salted caramel. Infusions of herbs like rosemary and thyme and the addition of spices like black pepper and cardamom are finding their way onto modern dessert menus. Funky, fermented flavors are making a play, too, from miso caramel to black garlic chocolate truffle.

Savory, salty tones from strategic employment of various cuts of meat are unexpected yet welcome. Fionna España, President of Chef de Cuisine Association LA in Pomona, Calif., developed a Mexican Hot Chocolate Mousse with Margherita Capicola, juxtaposing sweet and savory in a unique dessert. She creates a graham cracker crust, giving it a rich mouthfeel with the addition of bacon fat. For the mousse, España whips together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, then incorporates whipped cream and finely chopped chocolate. For service, she garnishes the dessert with shards of crispy capicola.

Spicy flavors are up 138% on bakery menus this year
SOURCE: Mintel, 2023

Mychael Bonner’s Brown Sugar Jerk Wings, starring Smoke’NFast KC Wild Wings, feature the scorching heat of Scotch bonnet peppers tempered by the sweetness of brown sugar, warm spices and Memphis-style barbecue sauce.

THE EVOLUTION OF SWEET HEAT

We’ve seen how popular hot honey has become—diners can’t get enough of that sweet-hot combination. What’s the next big thing in this craveable flavor pairing? There are so many possibilities! Here are six that show great menu potential:

HOT COUPLES:

• Black Pepper + Caramel
• Smoked Merquén Pepper + Maple Syrup
• Sambal + Pineapple
• Gochujang + Okinawan Brown Sugar
• Jerk Seasoning + Coconut Sugar
• Ancho Peppers + Smoked Honey

SMITHFIELD’S PRODUCT MIX

There’s something for every industry and segment in Smithfield’s portfolio. Brands and products include:

• SMITHFIELD: Bacon, Ham, Breakfast Sausage, Smoked Sausage and Hot Dogs
• MARGHERITA: Pepperoni, Capicola, Genoa Salami and Prosciutto
• SMITHFIELD SMOKE’NFAST: Boneless/Single Bone Osso Buco, Barbacoa, Carnitas, Pulled Pork and Brisket
• SMITHFIELD FRESH PORK: Tenderloin, Pork Chops, Pork Belly, Fresh Ground Pork and Sausage

Smithfield Culinary is eager to serve as a resource for ideas and insights to help you attract more customers. Visit SmithfieldCulinary.com or call your Smithfield rep at 888.327.6526.