Globally, chilli sauce sales have grown nearly twice as much as the packaged food market as a whole, Euromonitor Research Analyst Jack Skelly wrote in a blog post, saying that hot sauces available at high street fast food chains, such as peri-peri and sriracha, have trickled down into supermarkets. Added to this, consumer interest has increased in pan-Asian street food, sales from Portuguese/Mozambican chain Nando’s have doubled in five years, and Mexican restaurants have become widespread across Europe, Australasia and the Americas.
“As a result of the ubiquity of these sauces and increased exposure to cuisines that are spicier than standard Western fare, there has been an increased disposition for, or at least tolerance of, spice,” wrote Skelly.
He said that hot sauces also appealed to consumers who might usually be put off by spicy foods, allowing them to customise the spice level of a particular dish.
Euromonitor predicts that chilli sauces will continue their strong growth over the next five years, adding $632m (€553m) of new sales worldwide.
“Companies would certainly do well to invest in these products,” Skelly wrote. “The success of these products also suggests that companies should take risks on niche or artisanal flavours that are popular within street food.”