6 spicy novelty foods from 2022 you won’t believe are real
With the highest-ever levels of interest in hot sauce and spicy foods and strong market growth, 2022 is shaping up to be a great year for spice lovers. These new novelty spicy food products prove that even the biggest brands are jumping on the spicy bandwagon. But be quick to grab them, they are all offered only on a limited-time basis.
Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew
Mountain Dew has long been in the spicy game. In 2020 they released a wildly popular, extremely limited run of their own Moutain Dew flavored hot sauce. It quickly became a cult classic, and now auctions for $150 or more on eBay!
They’ve done it again in 2022, with the all-new Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew. Unless you’ve been living under a rock all year, you’ve surely seen it stocked on the shelves and end caps of your local grocery store. Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew combines two classic flavors: lemon-lime soda and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. We personally reviewed this product and found that, while there is a distinct tingling on the tongue, it’s not particularly spicy (or tasty). Still, it will leave stores soon and when it does you’ll want to be able to say you tried it.
Cinnafuego Toast Crunch
General Mills, one of the biggest cereal producers in America, also jumped on the spicy novelty bandwagon with a fiery remix of my favorite cereal ever — Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Called Cinnafuego, this is simply a spicier version of the long-loved Cinnamon Toast Crunch. It was released exclusively through Walmart, but is available at reseller prices on Amazon and eBay too. The reviews aren’t great, likening the flavor to drinking a bowl of spit after someone has chewed cinnamon-flavored gum.
Zaxby’s Tongue Torch hot sauce popsicles
In September of 2022, Zaxby’s announced a limited run of sauce-flavored popsicles, including their Tongue Torch hot sauce. These were available for free via the Zaxby’s app, but when we tried to order they weren’t available so we haven’t had the chance to personally review them. Regardless, they made a big splash in the media.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Tapatio ice cream
September 2022 was a good month for spicy novelty products. That same month, Van Leeuwen announced a partnership with Tapatio in creating a Mexican hot chocolate-flavored ice cream.
Of all of the spicy novelty releases of 2022, this one makes the most sense flavor-wise. We love novelty snack foods as much as anyone, but this is one we’d eat again and again. Mexican hot chocolate is a well-known and well-loved flavor — who doesn’t like a bit of kick to rich, delicious chocolate?
Where to buy Tapatio ice cream
This release was, again, in partnership with Walmart, so that’s the best place to check locally for this limited-run ice cream.
Burger King’s Ghost Pepper Whopper
We’re sad to say, the opportunity to try Burger King’s Ghost Pepper Whopper has already passed. This fiery sandwich was available only between October 17-31 to Royal Perks Members via their mobile app.
Perfect for Halloween, the burger boasted a flame-grilled beef patty, spicy queso, crispy jalapeños, bacon, and ghost pepper cheese, all on an orange and black bun.
However, reviews for this sandwich weren’t glowing and said that the burger fell short of the heat level promised.
Pop Tarts x Tajín
In a viral stunt, Tajín partnered up with Pop Tarts to sell this kit of sweet and spicy goodness. Available for $10 only from October 25 – October 27, 2022 this novelty deal came as fast as it went. It was launched to promote Tajin’s all-new fruity Chamoy hot sauce.
The bad news? This deal is no longer available to purchase. The good news? You can DIY at home with Pop tarts, Tajín, and Fruity Chamoy.
While the Tajín and Chamoy combo makes perfect sense, I’m not quite sure why they dragged Pop Tarts into the mix except for the shock and brand value appeals.
