How chili became the new king of pop culture

Introduction

We have never eaten as spicy as today, and we were far from suspecting the scale of this business. As proof, the global hot sauce market is expected to reach $8.1 billion by 2033, driven by annual growth of 6.5% since 2020 (source: Studio Blackthorns). And one thing is certain, this is not a summer fashion that will pass with the season. North America is the largest consumer, but France is a very serious competitor.

Sales of hot sauces there have jumped 30% in five years, an increase directly attributed to the effect of social networks and which accompanies a profound transformation in our eating habits, particularly among young people. The generational statistics speak for themselves: 70% of fans of very hot sauces are between 18 and 35 years old and, better yet, 60% of Gen Z and 47% of Millennials say they are ready to try the hottest pepper in the world. Even if it means crying.

The virality of chili

But how can we explain this sudden appetite for fire? A good part of the answer lies in our screens, where chili has become as much a spectacle as a food. It lends itself ideally to the codes of the platforms: the visible suffering, the reaction that cannot be faked, the challenge that one throws at one’s friends… So many narrative springs made for short and reactive formats.

However, the phenomenon goes further than a simple story of virality. For Fanny Parise, anthropologist specializing in consumption, it is part of a fundamental evolution in our relationship with food. Asked about this by 60 million consumersshe explains: “With the takeover of social networks, our food has become more cosmopolitan, in particular because of the borrowings made from the Orient and Asia, which have a historical culture of spicy cuisine.” The taste of spiciness doesn’t come out of nowhere; it travels and is transmitted at the speed of a feed.

If we had to find a precursor in this trend of peppers and hot sauces, it would undoubtedly be Hot Ones. The concept is remarkably simple: public figures respond to an interview while tasting ten spicy sauces, from the mildest to the strongest. The more the interview progresses, the more it heats up, and the more tongues loosen. A universal format which met with great audience success, supported by renowned guests, such as Natalie Portman, Tom Holland, Daniel Radcliffe, the group BTS, Madison Beer, MrBeast and Billie Eilish.

The numbers are dizzying. The YouTube channel First We Feast, which hosts the show, has more than 15 million subscribers. And in 2024, the studio behind the format was sold by BuzzFeed for $82.5 million. Chili as a spectacle is worth gold.

The show didn’t stop there. It has diversified with hot sauces sold directly in supermarkets, and even a board game called Truth or Dab. Hot Ones has thus become a brand in its own right, which demonstrates how cultural content around spice can turn into a leading economic asset.

Obviously, such success gave ideas to this side of the Atlantic. In 2022, the concept was adapted for France on Canal+, co-produced by Studio Bagel, with Kyan Khojandi at the helm. Proof that the format goes far beyond the American context and that chili as a common language works in all latitudes.

The phenomenon has attracted those who make the news (from Raphaël Quenard to Adèle Exarchopoulos via Pierre Niney, Léna Situations, Miki, Thomas Ngijol, Alain Chabat Xavier Niel and SCH) and has even attracted the biggest brands. In 2024, Hot Ones France thus joined forces with McDonald’s France, generating a viral challenge on social networks.

When brands seize the fire

Behind the big shows and the hashtags with billions of views (on TikTok, the hashtag #SpicyChallenge exceeds 4 billion views), a new generation of entrepreneurs has decided to seize the phenomenon. Sauce Martin perfectly illustrates this trajectory. “We went from 300 kg of peppers produced by our market gardener the first year to more than 100 tonnes five years later,” says Benjamin Martin, co-founder of the brand, 60 million consumers.

This kind of curve does not reflect a passing fad, but a demand that has literally exploded. And the Sauce Martin case is not isolated. It bears witness to an entrepreneurial ecosystem which has been structured around chili peppers, which have become a cultural as well as a culinary product.

The latest sign that spiciness has definitely earned its reputation, the spirits giants are getting into it in their turn. Absolut Vodka and Tabasco have joined forces to create Absolut Tabasco, a spicy vodka with 38% alcohol, marketed in France and in more than 50 countries.

This marriage between two iconic brands says a lot. Chili has reached a sufficient degree of legitimacy to integrate the strategies of the largest groups. The claimed positioning also targets bar professionals, with “a real tool for bartenders, to give character to cocktails without masking the other ingredients†. From the back of the cupboard to the shaker of trendy establishments, chili has come a long way.