Welcome to Marketing to Gen Z, a regular column from Quad Insights. In this installment, we take a look at this demographic’s food and flavor preferences — and how CPG and restaurant marketers are reacting to them. (For a primer on this generation, see “Why marketers continue to be fixated on Gen Z.”)

Nearly half of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) in the U.S. identifies as non-white, according a Pew Research Center analysis of the latest Census Bureau data. Coupled with the fact that 22% of Gen Z have at least one immigrant parent, it’s not surprising that this generation’s food and flavor preferences are incredibly varied.

What trends are emerging when it comes to Gen Z’s food consumption? Some insights:

  • A November 2024 report from Rubix Foods — a provider of flavors and ingredients for restaurants and manufacturers — offers a broad look at Gen Z trends when it comes to food, revealing a proclivity for heat-plus-sweet, “swicy” flavors (think honey pepper or sweet Thai chili), “global” flavors, unique takes on ranch and, of course, pickles. In fact, 78% of Gen Zers surveyed for the study said they either like or love spicy foods and flavors, while 66% say they’re more likely to purchase a food item if it’s advertised as spicy. When it comes to sweet and spicy flavor combinations, 45% of Gen Zers said they love these flavors and 23% consume them often. Floral flavors are also popular among this age group, with 67% saying they’re interested in seeing more food and beverages with floral-infused flavors, such as hibiscus and lavender.

  • Sauces — particularly hot sauce — are, well, hot among younger consumers, as Technomic’s 2024 “Flavor Consumer Trend Report” indicates, per Fortune. The study reveals that one in four Gen Zers and millennials take their own condiments — most often hot sauce — with them to restaurants.

  • While 50% of Gen Zers in a November 2023 Hartman Group study said they want more meals with unique flavors or different cuisines — with 32% saying they “love to try new types of foods and cuisine” — 39% said they prefer to eat meals they’re used to.

  • The Food Institute reports that a 2024 analysis of social media content by consumer insights platform Tastewise points to the growing popularity of Filipino food among Gen Z, with dishes such as kare kara and discussions around Filipino stews up 24% and 43% year over year, respectively. “Social media is sparking curiosity for new flavors,” Tastewise CEO Alon Chen told The Food Institute. “With just one click, people can explore food trends from around the globe.” (Read more about the social media effect below.)

How social media is driving Gen Z flavor trends

As the biggest consumers of online media — nearly seven hours’ worth each day, according to a 2024 Talker Research survey — Gen Zers are exposed to a constant barrage of new products, food and flavor trends that influence their purchases and consumption habits. For instance, on TikTok, #FoodTok is a catch-all TikTok hashtag popular with Gen Z that covers “perfect recipes, incredible restaurants and delicious food,” per the platform’s own description. As of this writing, the hashtag has been used in more than 4.7 million TikTok posts.

In fact, per the Rubix Foods report linked above, 55% of Gen Zers say they’ve purchased food or beverages that have gone viral on social media. And 73% of Gen Z consumers are self-proclaimed “foodies,” according to a Censuswide survey across the U.K. and U.S., per FastCasual.

“We’re seeing Gen Z trends that have gone viral on social media make their way into restaurant brands’ menus and marketing,” says Ashley Wacht, Head of Vertical Marketing, Commerce, at Quad. “The #FoodTok pickle craze, for instance, is a perfect example of a social trend coming to life, as you can see with Wonderful Pistachios launching a pickle-flavored pistachio offering, and Popeye’s promoting its limited-time Pickle Menu, with items including Pickle Glaze Boneless Wings and Pickle Lemonade.”

Social media is only part of the marketing equation, though, as Heidi Waldusky, VP of Brand Marketing at Quad, points out.

“Breaking through with offerings that are on-trend requires a nimble omnichannel strategy — encompassing everything from product packaging and store signage to direct mail and digital,” says Waldusky. “Gen Z consumers are willing to be incredibly bold and adventurous when it comes to food, so restaurant brands, CPGs and retailers need to be bold and adventurous in their marketing too.”

For more from Quad on personalized marketing, download our 2025 audience strategy guide.

Illustration by Fernando Cobelo. 

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