Blackcurrant Named Flavor of the Year 2026

Each year, McCormick — the company behind Club House, French's, Frank's RedHot and Old Bay — highlights a flavor expected to influence kitchens and eating habits worldwide. After Aji Amarillo in 2025 and tamarind in 2024, it is now blackcurrant, also known as black currant or gadelle noire in Québec, that takes center stage for 2026.

Over time, many ingredients that are now well established in our culinary habits first circulated within specialized circles before gaining wider popularity. Trend-monitoring tools such as the McCormick Flavor Forecast follow this exact approach: identifying emerging movements already taking shape and helping to amplify them among chefs, artisans and the general public.

A Recognition That Resonates Deeply

Founded in the early 1990s by Bernard Monna, Cassis Monna & Filles was born from a forward-thinking intuition: to reveal the full potential of a fruit that was still little known in Québec. Since then, the company has continued to innovate by developing a wide range of products — wines, spirits, blackcurrant liqueur, jams, sauces, jellies and, more recently, blackcurrant powder.

Beyond its distinctive flavor profile, blackcurrant is recognized as a superfruit, naturally rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and associated with benefits for eye health, the immune system and metabolism.

A Fruit That Pairs with Everything

Now led by Anne and Catherine Monna, the company has made blackcurrant the common thread of a complete gourmet experience on its Île d'Orléans estate. During the summer season, the creamery, restaurant and terrace invite visitors to discover blackcurrant in all its forms — sweet and savory, from breakfast to dinner.

The goal remains the same as it has been for more than three decades: to show that this small, often underestimated fruit can be enjoyed on any occasion and in a wide variety of culinary creations.

A Trend Confirmed

This international recognition confirms what Cassis Monna & Filles has been cultivating for decades: blackcurrant is now establishing itself as an essential flavor in contemporary gastronomy.