This Taste of Home Award-winning seasoning is our new best friend for grilling proteins. Its tart berry flavor is perfectly balanced by jalapenos, oak smoke and garlic.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.
Learn more.
Fruit added to traditionally savory dishes is a combination I never pass up. Figs on pizza, or apple grilled cheese on the menu? Consider it ordered. When it’s hot out, peach salsa is an absolute staple in my fridge. Oh, and I’ve been rationing a jar of cherry honey mustard until I can make another road trip to Michigan to get more.
So when I overheard my friend and colleague Catherine Ward talking about how much she loves the new McCormick sweet and smoky black currant seasoning, my ears perked up. Here at Taste of Home, we always turn to Catherine for her grilling expertise, and when she says a grilling rub is delicious, you know it’s true. A fruity-yet-smoky seasoning to spruce up savory, meaty main dishes—and one with a glowing recommendation, no less? Sign me up.
I knew McCormick had named black currant its 2026 Flavor of the Year, so I had to try the black currant seasoning for myself. And once I picked up a jar, it was clear that it deserved a Taste of Home Award.
McCormick Black Currant Seasoning
What are black currants, and how do they taste in a savory seasoning?
Fresh black currants are dark-colored berries native to Northern Europe and Asia. They’re tart, tangy, and very high in vitamin C and antioxidants. Black currants actually used to be illegal to grow in the United States because the plants can carry a fungus that’s deadly to white pine trees. The federal ban was put in place in 1911, but was lifted in 1966 after fungus-resistant varieties were developed. Only some states grow black currants now (while others still have bans in place), therefore the fruit is still not very common on this side of the Atlantic.
Since I hadn’t encountered fresh black currants before, I wondered if there were any black currant–flavored products that I might be familiar with here in the States. As it turns out, I had tried (and loved) black currant liqueur—aka crème de cassis—in drinks like Kir royal, so I was encouraged that I’d love the McCormick seasoning, too.
McCormick turns the sweet-tart black currant berries into a powder, then mixes it with jalapeno, salt, vinegar, garlic, molasses, sugar, onion and black pepper. When you open the seasoning, it smells almost like a very strong, fruity balsamic vinegar. You can see tiny pieces of grated onion in the purplish mixture, which contains beet juice and spirulina extract to turn up the vibrancy of the violet hue.
I sprinkled some on my finger and tried it. The black currant flavor was very tart, and you could feel the spice of the jalapeno on the tip of your tongue immediately. There are so many flavors in the one tiny jar, but the vinegar, berry, jalapeno and smokiness were the most prominent for me.
When I asked her about her first impressions of the seasoning, Catherine said, “I really loved how strong the black currant aroma was, and when it came time to give it a try, it didn’t disappoint. It really tastes as good as it smells.”
Black Currant Seasoning Is Perfect as a Dry Rub
Catherine told me that she took the smoky undertones of the seasoning as an invitation to doctor up some grilled pork chops. She spread it onto the meat as a dry rub, forgoing oil or any other marinade so she could taste the black currant seasoning its its full glory. She said that after rubbing it into the meat and letting it sit for 30 minutes, the seasoning really melted and seeped into the meat—baking the flavor into the pork chops instead of sitting on top of them.
I tried the seasoning on pork chops myself and, sure enough, the seasoning slowly melded into the meat as it marinated, turning shiny, purple and shimmery by the time I slid the chops into the oven. The longer they baked, the more the kitchen smelled like black currants—and I couldn’t wait for the timer to reach zero.
The pork chops were incredibly fruity and flavorful, and had the perfect amount of spice for me. They might be too spicy for someone with a low spice tolerance, but they were just enough for someone who keeps hot sauce stocked in the fridge.
“This is the first time I’ve seen, tasted or used a black currant seasoning,” said Catherine. “I think it did a better job than other grilling rubs in really bringing forward the individual flavors of the seasoning, specifically the black currant/berry flavor and the oak smoke. Plus, the jalapeno adds a moderate heat that pairs so well with the smoky and black currant flavors.”
Use It to Flavor Condiments, Butter and More
Catherine also plans to put the seasoning out on the table for sprinkling on grilled salmon, chicken skewers and pork tenderloin. She also thinks it would be great in a compound butter to finish grilled proteins and even grilled corn on the cob. One idea of hers I particularly love is adding the seasoning to the rim of a jalapeno margarita.
McCormick’s website specifies sauces, glazes and dressings as other ways to put the seasoning to use. One that caught my eye was black currant mayo, since that would be such an easy way to level-up the jar of mayo that’s sitting in my fridge right now. The company also has a recipe for black currant smashburger sliders, where the seasoning is used in the sliders, the slaw and the mayo. If you love black currants, that’s got to be a grand slam of a recipe.
Where to Find McCormick Black Currant Seasoning
I ordered the McCormick sweet and smoky black currant seasoning from my local Walmart, but you can order it directly from of the McCormick website if you can’t find it near you.
While you’re at it, give the brand’s black currant finishing sugar a try. Senior editor Emily Parulski loves it, and recommends stirring it into black coffee with a bit of creamer (“It tastes like a blackberry latte!”). She also recommends using it as a contrasting finishing touch over lemon bars. If you’d prefer to find it on your next grocery run instead of ordering online, you can find the finishing sugar in 3-packs at Walmart.
