Black currants, banned from American cultivation for nearly a century, now season the nation's grills. McCormick's new black currant seasoning won a Taste of Home Award, combining the fruit's distinctive tartness with jalapeños, oak smoke, and garlic into a versatile dry rub.
The federal prohibition on black currants lasted from the early 1900s until 2003. Officials feared the plants harbored white pine blister rust, a fungal disease devastating to timber. Though the USDA lifted restrictions decades ago, black currants remained rare in American cooking. Their reemergence signals a shifting spice market that embraces once-forbidden flavors.
This seasoning represents a broader move toward unexpected fruit-forward profiles in grilling. The tart-savory combination positions black currants alongside more familiar barbecue staples like smoked paprika and cumin, but delivers a brighter acid cut. Jalapeños provide heat and complexity. Garlic grounds the blend. Oak smoke ties everything together with depth.
McCormick's award status from Taste of Home indicates food writers and home cooks already embrace the formula. The seasoning works on grilled meats, vegetables, and potentially in rubs for smoking. Its tartness complements rich proteins without overshadowing them.
Black currants contain three times the antioxidants of blueberries, making this seasoning a nutritional upgrade over standard spice blends. The fruit's resurgence in American kitchens reflects changing attitudes toward flavor complexity and a willingness to experiment beyond traditional regional barbecue styles.
This seasoning marks a practical way for home cooks to access a historically unavailable ingredient without hunting specialty suppliers. McCormick's distribution reach means black currant flavor enters mainstream grilling culture, not as a trendy niche product but as an accessible pantry sta