Why spicy fruit, or 'fricy', is this summer's sweet-hot trend

The word 'fricy' — a social-media born portmanteau for fruity and spicy — has joined terms such as 'swicy' and 'swavoury', and retailers are seeing the effect. Sous Chef reports sales of the lime and chilli blend Tajín are up 19% year on year in 2026 so far; Waitrose says sales of its Mango Amba Sauce have risen 30% in the last year; and Hot-Headz!

has noted a recent surge in fricy sauces, with pineapple and mango hot sauces proving particularly popular. At Mango Twist in Seven Sisters the Volcano slushie, the cafe’s take on a Mexican chamoyada, pairs bright yellow juice and spiralised mango with red chamoy and a Tajín candy-dipped straw.

Customer Hannah, on her third visit, said the flavours reminded her of treats from the US, and Peru-born owner Dominic Vargas says the drink’s visual appeal on TikTok and Instagram has brought people in; he opened Mango Twist in 2024 and now has four branches. Other fricy offerings include the Mangonero fruit salad with chamoy and tamarind and the Pine pop, a hunk of pineapple coated in chamoy.

United Kingdom, Seven Sisters, London

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