The American Condiment Hall of Fame Has a New Member. And It's Unlike Anything That's Been There Before.

"This is after Mike's Hot Honey announced a collaboration with Bush's beans, and Austin Eastciders, and Utz chips, and Taco Bell. You can get Mike's Hot Honey on your KFC order, or on pizza and wings from Pizza Hut. And despite partnerships with national corporations and fast food, you can also still probably find it on a pizza at whatever wood-fired Neapolitan-ish place showed up in your neighborhood a decade ago."

"Americans love a condiment trend, especially a spicy one. 'Two hundred years ago, black pepper was considered hot; now a jalapeno hot sauce is universally loved,' wrote Sarah Lohman in her book, Eight Flavors, in 2016, referring to the then-ubiquity of Sriracha. We love to argue about the superiority of various hot sauces (Crystal or die), 'buffalo' things, which have hence never been buffaloed, and now, ladle chile crisp on just about anything."

"But unlike Sriracha, whose trend has peaked, or gochujang, which is hitting its stride, hot honey—and specifically, Mike's Hot Honey—appears to be in a perpetual state of emergence. Food & Wine asked why it was 'everywhere' this year, while back in 2022, Mashed declared hot honey was 'heating up like never before.' In 2021, Nation's Restaurant News made note of the sweet heat trend sweeping the nation, while in 2020, Yahoo said hot honey was the hot trend to try on everything. Even back in 2015, CBS said the product was creating a 'condiment craze.'"

Mike's Hot Honey has formed partnerships with major brands and fast-food chains while remaining present in artisanal pizzerias. Americans consistently embrace spicy condiment trends and move flavors from novelty to household use. Historical taste shifts show what was once considered hot becomes mainstream, as seen from black pepper to jalapeño-based sauces. Sriracha's ubiquity has peaked while other condiments like gochujang gain traction, yet hot honey continues to resurface across years and outlets. Multiple media outlets have repeatedly noted hot honey's spread, and the product now occupies space in many American pantries.

Read at Slate Magazine