A berry sweet surprise awaited guests at SHiFT Midtown in New York City on Thursday and Friday.
McCormick’s 2026 Flavor Of The Year, black currant, was the star at Sensoria: The Black Currant Experience. Themed cocktails, bites, and a decadent four-course meal demonstrated the versatility of this tangy, sweet berry.
MCCormick’s Flavor Forecast has indicated dining trends since 2000, unveiling an annual Flavor of the Year and predicting what dishes and techniques you might see in food. Along with black currant, McCormick identified three trends: Attainable Opulence, Simple to Spectacular and Sauce From Somewhere. This year, expect to see extravagant dishes, hand-crafted meals and bold dips and drizzles.
Sensoria: The Black Currant Experience brought these trends to life with a creative, diverse menu. The evening started with signature cocktails and savory bites. The black currant sour spotlighted the berry’s signature tang, topped off with McCormick’s Black Currant Finishing Sugar. Spicy popcorn brittle complemented the drink, a welcome savory contrast.
Sensoria offered guests the opportunity to hear, see, smell, taste and feel the Flavor of the Year. A curated playlist and purple digital landscapes set the night’s ambience. McCormick Executive Chef Hadar Cohen Aviram introduced the menu, talking through the exciting ways to incorporate black currant into everyday meals.
Carrot tartare. (The Knockturnal)
The pre-set consisted of house-made breads with an assortment of black currant-themed spreads. A standout was the currant balsamic figs and honey, which was bright and jammy. Heirloom carrot tartare was the first course, topped with a tomato “yolk.” Don’t be intimidated by its bright purple hue — the crunchy carrots and silky sungold tomato made a tasty topping for the rice cracker sides.
Left to right: Lamb pita, New York strip steak, duck confit bao bun. (The Knockturnal)
The main course consisted of three bites: a lamb pita, duck confit bao bun and New York Strip Steak. The lamb pita was topped with a tart black currant compote and tzatziki, which cooled the mouth and bit through the salty lamb. The duck confit was savory and housed in a fluffy bao bun, topped with zesty pickled onion. A smoky, sweet black currant demi sauce coated the juicy steak, making the perfect final bite.
Black currant caviar. (The Knockturnal)
Dessert allowed the black currant to truly shine. A black currant caviar was served in a McCormick-branded tin, sat on top of panna cotta. The pearls of black currant brought a decadent mix of sweet and sour. It paired perfectly with the silky panna cotta underneath. One final surprise awaited guests: black currant and sake Japanese candies, which appeared as rocks all across the table.
Bring Sensoria to your dining table with a bundle set of Sweet & Smoky Black Currant Seasoning and Black Currant Finishing Sugar. McCormick recipes from salads and smashburgers to cheesecake and lemonade are also available for you to ring in the summer with this berry tangy fruit.
