2024 ACF Trends

Introducing our July and August trends, part of ACF’s first-ever Trends Report launched this year.

By Amelia Levin, NCR editor

July Global Pantry

With such a diverse culture in the U.S. and how easy it’s become to access global ingredients, our pantries have changed dramatically. Sriracha sauce has become as mainstream as ketchup in some parts of the country, with Korean gochujang following closely behind. It’s common to see a splash of XO sauce or a dusting of furikake. Japanese matcha is being used more in green sauces, and the availability of chiles from Latin America to Asia continues to grow.

Overall, 44% of U.S. consumers are interested in global condiments and sauces, and 51% of U.S. operators would menu them today, according to third-party foodservice research firm Datassential. Green sauces and condiments are having a heyday, with Argentine chimichurri now familiar to 30% of consumers. That’s coupled with growing interest in guasacaca, a smooth, avocado-based Venezuelan sauce with herbs and lime, along with different types of green salsas and gremolata.

Some of the fastest-growing sauces and condiments as of spring 2024, according to Datassential MenuTrends research, include hot honey, with 36% menu growth in just the past year; mango habanero (34%); and amatriciana, an Italian salsa made with guanciale, pecorino Romano cheese and tomato, beating out the pack at 42%.

McCormick & Company named tamarind this year’s flavor of the year. The acidic, tangy and sweet spice, often found in the form of a paste, has origins in Africa, India and the Middle East but is often also used in Latin, Mexican and Caribbean dishes.

Generation Zers and millennials in general tend to favor bolder flavors featuring these global spices and condiments. According to Unilever’s Future Menus 2024 report, younger consumers prefer flavor “shocks” in the form of unexpected combinations like birria ramen, za’atar wings and kimchi added to mashed potatoes — just to name a few examples.

August The Whole Chef

From work-life balance to mental health awareness and new exercise regimens, chefs are prioritizing health and wellness in their everyday lives and becoming far more aware of the need to take care of themselves and those in their communities than ever before.

Organizations such as CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness), A Sip of Paradise, the Giving Kitchen, Healthy Pour, and I Got Your Back (IGYB) all work to support those in the hospitality industry with a goal of eighty-sixing stigmas around mental health and substance-free lifestyles. (Visit acfchefs.org/ACF/Resources/ Wellness to see a more complete list of wellness resources). According to Datassential’s 2024 Food Trends Report, 68% of consumers want to drink more water and exercise more in 2024. The main feature in this issue showcases how ACF chefs are working athletics and exercise regimens into their busy lives to stay in shape both mentally and physically in the kitchen and in culinary competitions.

Personal growth and professional development also make up the notion of The Whole Chef. AI programs that free up mundane tasks and help us become better planners, managers and strategizers are working their way into the fold. And then there are the many ACF programs, resources and tools for professional and personal growth, including paths for certfication and recertification, digital badges to market yourself in the industry; and specialized certificates in culinary essentials, cooking with cannabis, personal chef work and more. Visit the ACF Career Center for job openings (jobs.acfchefs.org) and for continued learning, the ACF Online Learning Center, which features new courses each quarter (acfchefs.org/OLC).