America's snack aisle is in a pickle.From chips and crackers to nuts, popcorn and pretzels, pickle flavor is popping up just about everywhere.Pickle-flavored snacks grew 30% in sales over the past year, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing data from market research firm Circana.GEN Z TURNS ON CLASSIC SNACKS, FORCING MAJOR GROCERY SHAKE-UP: 'THEY DON'T TRUST THEM'Beyond snacks, pickle flavor has expanded to smoothies, cheese spreads, hummus — even pickle toothpaste — and it's just getting started, a food and beverage trend expert told Fox News Digital.The pickle craze has expanded beyond the traditional jar, with the flavor appearing in everything from chips and nuts to smoothies and pizza.(iStock)"According to Datassential's Menu Trends platform, pickles appear on 46% of U.S.
restaurant menus, growing 6% over the past four years," said Renee Lee Wege, trendologist and senior publications manager at market research firm Datassential."That doesn't seem like a lot, but for something already ubiquitous like pickles, that's notable, as it gets into formats like pickle pizza, pickle beverages, etc.," she told Fox News Digital."We also predict an additional 5% growth on menus in the next four years."TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZTraditional pickles are most popular among millennials, but younger generations are driving the quirkier flavor applications, Datassential data shows.Forty-eight percent of millennials love pickles, while 76% of this demographic loves or likes them.
Gen Z trails in fourth place behind Gen X and boomers, though Wege noted, "that is pickle in general, which is tried-and-true, but pickle-flavored items, especially if they are unique or out there, would likely not be as appealing to older generations."Pickle-flavored chips are part of a broader pickle craze that has spread across America's snack aisles.(iStock)"Where Gen Z plays in is with the unique pickle-flavored items and creations that have been trending on social media, a...