Food Trends 2016

FOOD TRENDS

2016 MORE THAN 190 IDEAS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

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Top 2016 food trends fuel evolution of menus www.restaurant.org Nov. 5, 2015 The National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot in 2016 culinary forecast shows that mature menu trends maintain momentum, while sub-trends evolve in their wake.

The annual survey of nearly 1,600 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation – found that local sourcing and environmental sustainability continue to rule the top of the menu trends list for 2016, from overall culinary themes to more focused versions of those themes. Also prominent in the top 20 are various takes on global flavors.

“True trends evolve over time, especially when it comes to lifestyle-based choices that extend into other areas of our everyday life,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research for the National Restaurant Association.

“No one has a better view into the future of food trends than the culinary professionals who lead our industry.”

– Hudson Riehle, Senior V.P. of Research, National Restaurant Association "Chefs and restaurateurs are in tune with over-arching consumer trends when it comes to menu planning, but add their own twist of culinary creativity to drive those trends in new directions. No one has a better view into the window of the future of food trends than the culinary professionals who lead our industry," Riehle said. "We are excited to see how foodservice establishments will incorporate these culinary trends for 2016," said Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC, national president, American Culinary Federation. “Chefs enjoy being creative and many of these trends give them the ability to do what they love: make fresh, delicious food for people to enjoy.”

There is some synchronicity among several of the top trends for 2016. For example, locally sourced items are tied to the grow-your-own concept of hyper-local items, which in turn drills down to the make-your-own trend of house-made items.

International influences are also making a strong showing at the top of the list in 2016, including ethnic condiments and spices, authentic ethnic cuisine, ethnicinspired breakfast items, and street food.

Additional analysis of the survey results reveals which trends are gaining momentum and which ones are slowing down.

For example, African and Middle Eastern flavors are on the rise, while kale salads and gluten-free cuisine are losing ground as hot trends.

When asked which current food trend has grown the most over that last decade, 44 percent of the chefs said local sourcing.

Looking forward, 41 percent said the trend that will grow the most in the next ten years is environmental sustainability.

In September 2015, the NRA surveyed 1,575 American Culinary Federation members, asking them to rate 221 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news,” or “perennial favorite” on menus in 2016.

Download the NRA’s 18-page survey results absolutely free by visiting www.restaurant.org/FoodTrends

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g TOP 10 10 food & beeverage

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TREND TR REN R RE END EN E N ND DS DS

The Sriracha effect

Elevatting g peasa ant fare

Having learned that Sriracha sauce can add instant etthnic cachet, chefs are scouting the world for other asseertive flavorings. Likely bets: ghost pepper from Indiaa; sambal from Southeast Asia; gochujang from Ko orea; harissa, sumac and dukkka from North Africa.

Meatballs and saausages are proliferating—traditional, ethnic or nouveaau, shaped from many typess and combinations of meats.

Likewise on the rrise are ethnic dumplings, from pierogis to bao buns. Even the t staff of life gets the royaal treatment, from haute toastt to signature cheesy bread.

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Trash to trreasure

Burned

Bubbly y

Rising priices for proteins raise the profiles les of under-utilized stewing ccuts, organ meats and “trash” species of fish—but the “use it all” mindset has also movved beyond the center of the plaate. How about a veggie bu urger made with carrot pulp from the juicer?

SSmoke and fire are showingg up everywhere on the m menu : charred or roasted v vegetab le sides; desserts with w c arred fruits or burnt-sugaar ch toppings; cocktails featuring s smoked salt, smoked ice or s smoky syrups.

Effervescence makes es light work of the tren endiest beverages: Champaagnes and Proseccos, Camparimparian d -sod a ap éritifs,, adults- only “hard” ssoft drinks including ginger ger ales and root beers,, fruitbased artisanal sodas, sparkling teas.

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Fa ast food refresh

Year of the worker

The delivery very revolution ion

Consumers ers gravitate to “better” e fast food, transforming ming and diversifying the industry. s “QSR plus” concepts with fresher menus and bright h units fill a niche between fast food and fast casual. “B Build your own” springs up in more menu categoriees. QSRs add amenities like alcoh hol.

Mandates to boost minimum M w wages will reverberate up a d down the workforce, an w experienced staffers with demanding proportional raises es a d skilled workers even hard an der to hire. Technology will help restaurants do more with f fewer or lower-level workers..

C Compan ies will devote more resources to training a d retention. an

Order-and-pay apps and third-party online orrdering and delivery servicess make “dining in” easier thaan ever.

Transformational companies like Uber and Amazo on are muscling into the maarket.

App-only services like ke Munchery deliver food from commissaries, bypasssing the brick-and-mortarr restaurant altogether. er.

FAST FAST FO O D Negative e on GMOs s Whatever the science sayys, many consumers have made up their minds: no genetic tinkering with their food..

Some diners will gravitatee to restaurants touting GMO O-free fare; others will demand GMO labeling on menus. That’ss a big issue for the supply chain, since many crops (such as a soy fed to livestock) have beeen modified to boost producctivity.

Modern nizing g the sup pply chain Climate destabilizzation, mutating pathogens and rising transportation co osts, among other challenges,, will increase stress on the food supply chain. Consumer demand for “fresh” and “llocal” fare also challenges a distribution system based on consolidation, centralization, larrge drop sizes and long shelf lifee.

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10 Food & Beverage Trends www.foodingredientsfirst.com

Nov. 17, 2015

The “clean eating” trend has inspired a back-to-basics approach in product development and is an overarching theme in our 2016 projections.

4. Processing the Natural Way Established food processing practices that have been around for centuries are in the spotlight. They bring with them a natural and authentic image to counteract some of the negative perceptions of heavily processed foods. The health benefits of fermented foods are seeing increasing awareness among western consumers.

Newer technologies such as HPP (high pressure processing) may also succeed if they are seen as a fresh alternative to using preservatives.

1. Organic Growth for Clear Label “Clear label” established itself as a key trend in 2015, with greater transparency and the focus on simpler products with fewer artificial additives taking “clean label” to the next level. The biggest surge in NPD has been reported in organic products, indicating that this will be a key platform going forward in the short term, although the challenges involved may result in more beneficial platforms for clear label in the longer term.

5. Green Light for Vegetables Consumers know that they need to eat more greens, but shy away because of taste expectations. Children can be encouraged to eat more through hidden vegetable products, while the rise of fusion smoothies and high vegetable pastas indicates that adults can also be encouraged to increase their intake.

2. Free From For All Many consumers don’t need products that are free from gluten, wheat and dairy, but demand them, believing them to be healthier.

Industry has little choice but to respond and the recent surge in mainstream gluten free products has been incredible. Other “free from” platforms are also expanding.

3. The “Flexitarian” Effect The rise of part-time vegetarians, who have reduced their meat consumption because of health, sustainability and animal welfare concerns, is having a major impact on new product activity.

This includes the technological development and promotion of better-tasting products more reminiscent of meat, as well as the use of alternative protein sources and more animal-friendly processes.

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6. Creating a “Real” Link The rise of the Millennial consumer as a key product development target group has led to growing calls for a back-to-basics approach, to re-establish links with “real” food. “Real” is telling a story about where the product comes from and goes beyond certification alone.

Consumers want to know that the product is local, sustainably sourced, or created by well treated and well-paid workers if it comes from a distant land. Staple foods from a specific region have a marketing advantage over generic staples. Williams said: “Big trends relating to the consumer where it comes from and making the link to ‘real’ food are on the increase.

7. Small Players, Big Ideas

9. The Indulgence Alibi

Big companies used to have a few major competitors, now they have hundreds of small ones. Many of these small players only do one thing, but they do it well, which holds high appeal for discerning Millennial consumers. Because they are less restricted in their development process, small companies are getting their ideas out much quicker and serving as inspiration for the big boys, who are resorting to copying them, or just buying them out altogether.

For some categories such as desserts and chocolate, there will be no valid argument to take up a health positioning. It can be confusing and detrimental to a brand steeped on a premium and indulgent platform. But health conscious consumers do want to justify consuming a product purely for pleasure and therefore look for an excuse. A classic “indulgence alibi” can be the wholesome or natural quality of ingredients. The trend is also an opportunity to create smaller, but still highly indulgent treats.

Williams took the rise in use of kale as an ingredient as a case in point: “If we look at kale, we separated out product launches that use kale as an ingredient, launches are being led by small companies. It has been on-trend and there is a lot of conversation in the media and consumer press surrounding kale and it is all influenced by small companies that have become thought leaders. We need to be watching small companies to see what they do next.”

“There will be a lot of change in portion size of these indulgence products as well as guilt-free indulgence, particularly dark chocolate,” says Williams.

8. Beyond the Athlete Major sports nutrition manufacturers have realized that they can only get so far in targeting the saturated niche of bodybuilders, elite athletes and fitness fanatics in western markets. The benefits of sports nutrition components such as protein and energy ingredients can be exploited by all demographic groups and manufacturers are therefore diversifying on the “healthy living” platform for everyone. Previously specialized product portfolios are expanding into new categories, while some major manufacturers are launching products that in the past could have been seen as the athlete’s domain.

“In terms of products that contain protein, the trend is not going away but it has definitely moved beyond the athlete now and become a product for the mainstream. It is about healthy living and healthy lifestyle. The categories with a lot of protein claims now include cereals and baby food,” says Williams.

10. Tastes for New Experiences Well-traveled and highly adventurous consumers are expecting more authenticity and originality from food and beverages that they consume. They are looking for highly specific and authentic products from all corners of the globe. Their curious flavor palate is open to trying out new taste experiences, which can include combining apparently non-complementary flavors in a single bite or opening up to unusual textural ideas through layered flavors.

Creative marketing and the development of 3D printing are just two platforms driving this innovative trend.

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NRN predicts 2016 menu trends www.nrn.com Dec. 17, 2015 by Bret Thorn

3. Beyond Sriracha Having established that many Americans love spicy food, we’ll likely see restaurants move beyond the now-ubiquitous Sriracha sauce.

This is a well-established practice at independent restaurants, many of which are making their own hot sauces, but new types of heat are spreading to chains, too (and of course the hot sauce bar is a signature feature of Firehouse Subs).

The Korean hot-sweet chile paste gochujang was on the Korean street tacos at California Tortilla earlier this year, and Noodles & Company is rolling out Korean meatballs with gochujang in 2016. If you see “Korean barbecue sauce” on a menu, chances are good that it’s gochujang.

1. Clean Labels Americans are likely going to continue seeking out clean labels and somewhat lighter options, while continuing to eat bacon double cheeseburgers with seeming abandon. Their diets are likely to shift with their whims, from high-protein to gluten-free to meatless.

They also will likely be eating a lot of fried chicken.

Kale will probably continue to be popular, but quinoa might gradually fade from the scene as more grains, especially wheat varieties like farro and kamut, become more mainstream.

Calabrian peppers also are popular among indies, and it’s also part of brunch at Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Yogurt with the North African spice blend harissa was on the menu at Brick House Tavern + Tap this spring.

The October limited time offer at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Wild Pepper Tenderloin, was marinated in habanero pepper, aji amarillo and Szechuan peppercorns. African piri piri and Middle Eastern Aleppo peppers also are spreading at independents.

There probably won’t be a single hot pepper or pepper sauce to replace Sriracha, but instead a proliferation of varieties to suit each restaurant and its customers.

2. DIY Everything A number of chefs returned to butchering their own hogs and lamb years ago (beef less so). Then they started pickling, and now they’re fermenting their own kimchi, sauerkraut, potatoes (it tastes kind of like they were pre-treated with vinegar, they say) and just about anything else they can think of. House-made mozzarella’s almost normal in trendy Italian restaurants. House-churned butter used to be a rarity; now, not so much.

Some chefs have taken to milling their own flour. What’s next?

Well, Priscilla Young, the beverage director for Travelle Kitchen & Bar in Chicago, is talking about distilling ready-to-drink cocktails (possibly like a very complex gin). I bet some chefs already keep their own goats to make cheese, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see mushrooms cultivated in their basements. (I have no idea what the health code implications might be for that.) In-house beer brewing, after booming and busting in the 80s and 90s, is coming back, and given the fact that The Culinary Institute of America just started its own microbrewery at its Hyde Park, N.Y., campus as an instructional tool, it looks like that practice will be around for awhile.

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4. A Lot of Vegetables Just as there will not likely be a new Sriracha, there probably won’t be a new kale. But the drumbeats of local/seasonal and farm-to-table continue, and they’re best expressed with produce, meaning the floodgates are open for chefs to highlight and celebrate vegetables, offering them as the center of a meal rather than nutritional obligations. As chain restaurants face requirements to post calorie information on their menus and menu boards, vegetables offer the opportunity to add color, flavor, texture and perceived value to dishes as starches (which, to be fair, are also vegetables) and high-fat proteins — and calorie counts — shrink.

Diced vegetable medleys are now common accompaniments for meaty entrées at independent restaurants, such as the blend that chef Serena Bass serves to accompany her lamb chops at Lido restaurant in New York.

She combines butternut squash, celery root, carrots and sweet potato, hazelnuts and coriander seeds and roasts them all together with salt, pepper and olive oil.

Similarly, at Petrossian in New York, Richard Farnabe’s steak is accompanied by diced roasted sunchoke in maple bourbon sauce.

5. Shake Shooters

7. Wine You’ve Never Heard Of

I’ve been waiting for this to happen for years, and maybe in 2016 it finally will. We know snacking is on the rise. So are smoothies and other drinkable foods, as well as miniature desserts. So why hasn’t anyone offered these quick pick-me-ups for mid-morning snacks or those 4 p.m. low-energy moments: 4-ounce milk shakes of around 200 calories each, priced at around $2. It seems like a no-brainer.

Sure, some wine drinkers — a lot of them — will always drink Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon or White Zinfandel. But those looking to explore have shown an interest in pushing the limits.

Few American wine drinkers have been raised on classic varietals, so the adventurous ones are open to whatever you have to offer.

Starbucks tested the waters a bit this past spring with the Mini Frappuccino — a 10-ounce version of its signature smoothie, priced at 20 cents to 30 cents less than its 12-ounce “tall” Frappuccino.

6. Hybrid Burgers Mushrooms cost less than meat, are low in calories, have micronutrients and are umami bombs. Grind them up finely, mix them with ground meat, and you have a nice, flavorful, lower-calorie burger.

It’s an idea that the Mushroom Council has been pushing for a few years now, and it’s starting to catch on. College foodservice operators are starting to introduce them, and the feedback has apparently been good. Restaurants looking for lower-calorie burger options as menu labeling rules come into effect at the end of 2016 will likely follow suit with these blends or similar burger hybrids.

Back Yard Burgers has done something like that for its Mediterranean Chicken Burger, a limited time offer from November. It mixed ground chicken with spinach, mozzarella, quinoa and peppers. That patty was served with crumbled feta cheese, lettuce and tomato on flatbread.

Many Millennials have shown an abiding interest in sweet wine, particularly Moscato, but that leaves the way open for off-dry Rieslings, and then maybe even dry ones. Young red wine drinkers are enjoying affordable Argentine Malbecs these days, but they’ll likely be open to a Greek Xinomavro, Uruguayan Tanat or even those affordable Romanian wines your distributor’s trying to unload. In the next year, the wine drinker’s sense of adventure will likely continue to expand as evolving wine preservation technology allows all wine-serving restaurants to offer strong by-the-glass programs.

8. One More Year of India Pale Ale According to the Brewers Association, the trade body for craft beer makers, IPA consumption actually accelerated in 2015, even after a banner 2014, and now comprises 27 percent of the craft beer market. Although there’s little sign of hop fatigue yet, craft beer just accounted for 11 percent of beer sales by volume in 2014, and Bart Watson, the Brewers Association’s chief economist, expects it to fall somewhere between 12 percent and 13 percent for 2015. As craft beer becomes more mainstream, or as mainstream beer drinkers turn to craft beer, we’ll likely see a resurgence of traditional American favorites such as lagers in general and pilsners in particular. But I think IPA still has another good year or two in it.

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Top 10 Food Trends thefoodchannel.com December 11, 2015 Based on research conducted by The Food Channel in conjunction with CultureWaves® and the International Food Futurists, the list identifies some of the significant changes expected to hit the food world. 2016 marks 28 years since The Food Channel began identifying food trends.

1. Clean Label — “Clean Label” is a term that needs no definition in the food world, where growers and food manufacturers are being asked daily to remove preservatives, artificial flavors, antibiotics and other potential allergens. Farm-to-table is no longer enough.

Given the realities of how we eat, not everything is farmers’ market fresh. Businesses of all sizes will be responding to consumer demands for transparency.

2. A No Tipping Future — Restaurateur Danny Meyer is used to setting the standard—in food, in service, and in taking care of his employees. So we shouldn’t be surprised to see him leading the charge to change the way we pay at a restaurant. His policy is not without controversy as pundits debate the merits of incentive pay, but he’s also not alone. Joe’s Crab Shack is the first major chain to test a no-tipping policy. Leaside, a Toronto-based restaurant, dared to open with the policy in place, and worker-owned Casa Nueva has made the switch. Watch for phrases such as “hospitality included,” and for the impact to extend into the kitchen, where shared tips had become the norm. Will higher wages all around lead to menu prices that make us rethink the value of eating out, or will we adapt and love not having to pass judgment on our servers? Watch for “hospitality included” signs in the near future.

3. Tangy: the Newest Flavor Palate — As we look beyond spicy and sweet, we are moving into territory that incorporates a more nuanced palate. What used to be sweet is now savory, and vice versa.

Everything is getting flip-flopped as we try to figure out the newest and edgiest, or seek a new experience. It’s leading to stronger flavors that pack a punch to make sure we notice them.

4. The New Vegan — As we customize the way we eat, we keep assigning new terms to it with new definitions. This goes beyond flexitarian, beyond pegan (paleo/vegan), and into true personalization of what works for YOU. That may include figuring out how to eat at a fast-food restaurant on a vegan diet. Restaurants have been scrambling to accommodate this and are essentially making their own rules. We’re also seeing companies trying to fill the vegan niche with vegan alcohols. And we can’t forget what amounts to a rebranding of beans to accommodate the need. Check out the “pulse,” which is essentially the dry legume formerly known as the bean.

India expects its pulse exports to double this year.

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5. Coffee Flavor and Flair — Instead of flavoring our coffees, now we are flavoring nearly everything else with coffee, caffeine boost included! We’re moving beyond mocha cakes and cookies and right into things like chewable coffee cubes, coffee candy, coffee rubs, and coffee beer. We haven’t really substituted home brews for our coffeehouse addiction—we’ve expanded it. Hotels and restaurants are incorporating a coffee process story into their brands, too— making the story as relevant as the flavor. Chains such as Fairmont Hotels, Marriott, Hilton and Le Méridien are all implementing higher standards of coffee service, and new hot spots are offering an all-decaf experience.

6. Merging Markets — Hershey and Krave. Hormel Foods and Applegate. Heinz and Kraft. Snyder’s-Lance and Diamond. Marriott and Starwood. Are we making better companies or just bigger ones?

The merits of consolidation can be debated all day, but the reality is that mergers and acquisitions are big in the food and hospitality world. The reasons include everything from insurance against crop shortages all the way to calling it a sign of a maturing industry.

It could also be that, outside of health, we haven’t seen a lot of true innovation in food in years—it’s been a lot of duplication, enhancement, or redesign—so that the only way to grow is to combine.

That stimulates the competition to follow, since the only way to keep up is to grow. Some global implications come into play here, too, as some of the mergers include overseas acquisitions. That could pave the way for emerging-world countries to boom in the food world.

7. Cultural Diets — People are searching for their own culture, and in doing so, are realizing that there may have been health benefits for their genetics and body type. The great American melting pot that is represented by our food may actually start to get sorted back out, as people embrace ethnicity without “Americanizing” it into something potentially unhealthy. Watch for cultural influences particularly from the American Indian and Nordic cultures. We believe this includes a shift into mixing lifestyle and food choices. Just look at the Health Goth movement, or at entertainment such as Holy & Hungry, where faith and food are mixed, or at the growing interest in rituals such as Kung Fu tea, where part of the food pleasure is in maximizing the customs around it.

8. Decadent Desserts — Decadence is making a comeback.

If we are regulated everywhere, apparently we have to have an outlet somewhere. We’re seeing it big time in things such as boozy cereal milkshakes and fried milkshakes. We’re also seeing darker chocolate show up, thanks to the implied benefits from higher cacao.

There is the move toward incorporating marijuana or hemp in recipes.

It’s not just the THC-laced brownies of the 60s and 70s. Now we have foods with the hemp-based CBD additive that reportedly pulls the beneficial effects out without the psychoactive effects.

9. Searching for Super — Everyone is trying to find the next superfood, leading to the quick introduction of new foods, with quick turnaround if they don’t “stick.” While this appears to encourage innovation, it’s really become more about throwing an idea or product out there to see whether it takes off. The pattern is beginning to dilute our ability to enjoy “good food” when we require “super.” That said, start watching for more seaweed on the menu—and not just seaweed, but different strains of seaweed! (We may also start calling it “seagreens” to appeal more to the masses.) Other items on our radar are lingonberries and elderberries instead of blueberries, kohlrabi or collard greens instead of kale, avocado oil instead of coconut oil, and the everyday use of banana peel, BroccoLeaf, baobab, pitaya, chlorella and more.

10. Food Entertainment — We called this out in 2012 when we highlighted the trend toward TV, YouTube and celebrity chefs.

Now we’re seeing it integrated into mainstream television and movies, with shows such as Fresh Off the Boat (based on Chef Eddie Huang’s life) and movies such as Burnt. Also growing in popularity are the food-related movies airing on Hallmark Channel and the new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. They’ve gone so far as to adapt culinary mysteries into fun movies that include recipe references.

It seems our appetite for food programming is still being fed, with no sign of anyone pushing back from the remote.

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2016 Beverage Trends www.nrn.com Nov. 9, 2015 by Bret Thorn Here, NRN looks at Andrew Freeman & Co.’s 2016 beverage trend predictions and gives real-world examples.

1. Mocktails — Designated drivers, pregnant women, dieters “and even ‘foodie’ children,” are all target markets Freeman points to for beverages that are carefully crafted but free of alcohol, including the Côte de Beet at Atera in New York City, a combination of black currants and beets “that are aged in hopes of matching the taste of red wine,” Freeman said.

Hard Rock Café introduced a new mocktail this season called Rock You Like a Coconut, made with Monin Salted Caramel syrup, Coco Real syrup and caramel sauce blended with half-and-half and served over ice in a mason jar topped with whipped cream and caramel popcorn (pictured above.)

2. Kombucha — This fermented tea drink “is being incorporated into cocktails to create more botanical and fruitful alcoholic beverages,” Freeman reports, adding that Crooked Stave in Denver keeps at least one kombucha on draft. So does Flower Child: A Food Revolution, a restaurant opened last year by Fox Restaurant Concepts in Scottsdale, Ariz.

3. Carbonated Drinks — Sales of traditional soda might be down, but Freeman sees a spike in “fancy house made sodas” and other higher-end sparkling drinks, including a rise in craft ginger beers, craft hard sodas and adult root beer.

Sonic Drive-In entered the fray last year with its lower calorie, less sweet line of Splash Hand-Crafted Sodas in flavors such as blackberrypineapple and Sunshine Berry (at right).

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4. New Styles and Uses for coffee — Nitro-coffee, in which iced coffee is infused with nitrous oxide to give it a creamy texture similar to Guinness beer, is spreading in specialty coffee shops, and the morning brew is also being incorporated into other beverages.

Those include a sort of coffee horchata at Coffee Bar in San Francisco, which is a blend of cinnamon, vanilla-infused cold brew coffee, ice and milk; and the Kaffe Tonic at Saint Frank, also in San Francisco, which combines tonic water and espresso.

Other examples, as reported by NRN, include the Espresso Old Fashioned at Everyman Espresso in New York City, which combines a shot of espresso with bitters, simple syrup and a citrus twist (above).

5. Barrel-Aged Gin — Spirits manufacturers are adding color and depth of flavor to this aromatic spirit, which Freeman said give gin “hints of vanilla, maple, and brown sugar, creating a gin that is easy to sip and is the perfect complement in any number of cocktails.”

6. Tropical Cocktails — “Umbrella decorated drinks are on the rise and bringing a little more flare to your glass,” Freeman reports, pointing to places such as The Well Bar and Grill in Kansas City, which has a tiki cocktail menu featured weekly (Tiki Tuesday), and Fair Weather in San Diego, which has an “artisanal Piña Colada” and variations on the classic Mai Tai. Margaritaville added more tropical flair to its signature drink earlier this year by adding ginger and citrus to it.

7. Food & Cocktail Pairings — “Bartenders are creating drinks with flavors designed to specifically complement dishes,” Freeman reports.

That includes a Sazerac paired with a Florentine-style porterhouse steak at North End Grill in New York City.

Such pairings have long been a house specialty at Hopscotch in Oakland, Calif., including beef tataki topped with yuzu kosho, nagaimo and radish and served with a highball made of Satsuma Shiranami Mugi Shochu, seltzer and yuzu (at left).

10. Bloody Marys — Freeman expects “to see more and more creative presentations” of this brunch classic, including innovative garnishes, new components and carts allowing for customizable versions, such as the Bloody Mary Cart at 1313 Main in Napa, Calif.

Legal Sea Foods introduced a Green Bloody Mary this spring (pictured), made with vodka, the chain’s own spicy tomatillo green Bloody Mary mix and pickled tomato.

8. Frozen Cocktails — The Beyond Zero icemaker, which gets cold enough to freeze alcohol, is providing new opportunities to help restaurants sell frozen cocktails. Freeman pointed to Loopy Doopy at the Conrad Hotel in New York City as an example. It has frozen boozy ice pops served upside-down in wine glasses containing Prosecco.

Church Key in Los Angeles takes a different approach, making frozen cocktails tableside with liquid nitrogen (pictured above).

9. Photogenic Cocktails — Operators have responded to the trend of consumers posting pictures of their drinks with “Instagram-worthy garnishes from gold-dusted flowers, dehydrated fruits, sugar stirrers and designer straws,” Freeman said. Examples include the smoked pork belly that garnishes a bourbon and pepper-honey cocktail at Toki Underground in Virginia.

Perhaps going beyond that are video-friendly drinks, like Berries & Bubbles, a signature cocktail at steak and seafood chain Ocean Prime, which is made with dry ice and appears to be smoking (pictured.)

11. Matcha — This Japanese powdered tea, praised for its healthful qualities, is finding its way into drinks, as are other plant-based ingredients, Freeman reports. Haru introduced a Cucumber Matcha Margarita, made with tequila, cucumber-infused sake, Luxardo and matcha mixed with a cucumber-jalapeño infusion (pictured with the chain’s watermelon lemonade).

12. Wine on Tap — “More restaurants and wineries are offering wines on tap,” Freeman reports, noting that keeping wine in kegs increases preservation time and speed of service “rather than going through the traditional process of popping open a stubborn cork.”

13. New Wave White Wine — Freeman said white wines, particularly moderately oaked ones, are growing in popularity. “Even traditional red wine drinkers are exploring more white wines,” the firm noted, pointing to double-digit growth in Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris varietals. More oak, but otherwise fewer interventionist measures is the trend among winemakers, the firm reported.”

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Hot Food Trends www.nrn.com Nov. 6, 2015 Article by Bret Thorn Nation’s Restaurant News breaks down the ever-popular annual food trend predictions from San Francisco-based hospitality consulting firm Andrew Freeman & Co., and gives real-world examples. Visit www.afandco.com for the full 2016 Trend Report.

1. Go Veg or Go Home — “Vegetables are the hero this year,” and that doesn’t necessarily mean vegetarian or vegan. Vegetable portions are rising and meat portions are shrinking — something many Millennials see as being gentler on the planet.

“People want less animal protein and are requesting that veggies are ramped up to their fullest creative potential,” Freeman said, noting that Bon Appétit magazine’s restaurant of the year went to Al’s Place in San Francisco, where meat dishes are served as sides.

Pictured: True Food Kitchen’s roasted seasonal vegetable board with avocado green goddess dip and pimento cashew cheese spread

4. Fiery, Fiery Foods — “From the obvious chili oil to the ubiquitous Sriracha to the creatively inspired spicy maple syrup, American palates are embracing and relishing the heat,” Freeman said, noting that chile’s even finding its way into beverages and desserts, such as the Chili Tamarind Margarita at E & O Kitchen and Bar in San Francisco or the ancho-chocolate ice cream at Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream in San Francisco.

Pictured: Salsa Verde Brisket Nachos at Applebee’s 5. Lobster Roll — Diners have shown a willingness to pay for these pricey sandwiches that are popping up across the country, including the growing Lobster ME chain. Uno Pizzeria & Grill introduced lobster rolls (pictured) as a limited time offer this past summer.

2. Hawaiian Food — Poke, a Hawaiian dish made with raw fish, salt and a wide array of flavorings is becoming a staple in Los Angeles.

Freeman points to restaurants elsewhere, such as Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco, Poke to the Max in Seattle and Noreetuh in New York City as Hawaiian-oriented restaurants helping to spread the trend.

Pictured: Beef tongue with kimchi and cucumber in poppy seed steam bun from Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco 6. Discarded to Delicious — Moves to save money and reduce waste are coming together in this trend, Freeman said, “and you will find that chefs are embracing and utilizing the bits and pieces of all sorts of ingredients that were previously discarded to create delicious new dishes.”

Several restaurants have used this approach for marketing, too, such as Belcampo, a chain in California that offered $1 burgers with underutilized beef trim, and Sauce by Nature, which has a “zero waste” approach, changing its menu daily to use leftovers from the night before.

3. Sliders — Going beyond burgers, these small sandwiches have become carriers for many fillings, including Rock Cod Sliders at the Hungry Cat and shrimp cake sliders with Sausalito Springs watercress at The Dorian in San Francisco. Arby’s reportedly sold 29 million of their new non-burger sliders (pictured) in their debut month.

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Sweetgreen introduced a “WastED” salad as a limited-time offer at its New York City locations, developed in partnership with Blue Hill chef Dan Barber. It’s made of lesser-utilized vegetable parts, such as broccoli stalks, kale stems and cabbage cores.

Pictured: Ingredients in Sweetgreen’s WastED salad

7. House Made Flour — Restaurants seeking the next frontier of house-made items have started buying small grain mills to grind their own flours.

Restaurants doing that include Baker Miller in Chicago and Josey Baker Bread in San Francisco.

8. Cucumbers — Freeman said cucumbers are the “it” vegetable, and restaurants are sourcing different varieties of them and using them to “add texture, coolness [and] freshness” to dishes. Superiority Burger in New York City smashes cucumbers and mixes them with yogurt, jalapeño honey and crushed sesame breadsticks, and M.Y. China in San Francisco serves honey-glazed cucumber shrimp with wasabi.

11. Table Service — Freeman said the “once overdone tableside salad and flambé cart” are coming back in new forms, sometimes with the chef or sous chef performing tableside. Restaurants returning to that service style include the Barcelona Wine Bar chain, which slices its cured Mangalitsa pork tableside; and Poggio Trattoria, which serves its Italian bollito misto tableside.

NRN recently reported on the trend of restaurants rolling out carts for dim sum-style service. Among those restaurants is Church Key in Los Angeles (pictured).

Pictured: Fogo de Chão combined diced watermelon and cucumber for a salad this summer.

9. Compressed Produce — Sous-vide machines are used to change the texture of root vegetables and melons, and Freeman said the results “are becoming staples in both high-end and casual establishments.” As an example, Freeman points to the compressed cucumbers with beet cured salmon tartare at Bluestem Brasserie in San Francisco.

10. Stuffed Dough — Items such as Indian samosas, Central American empanadas and Chinese dumplings are popular and are being served at places like Russ & Daughters in New York, which opened a café that offers items such as cheese blintzes, and Sens Restaurant in San Francisco, which offers chorizo empanadas. As part of its Chinese New Year menu in February, P.F. Chang’s offered Flaming Pork Wontons in spicy garlic and sesame soy sauce, finished with scallions (pictured).

12. Indulgent Breakfast and Lunch — “Why not throw caloric caution to the wind once a week?” Freeman asks, noting that dishes such as French toast and pancakes with duck-liver butter abound.

He points to Brioche French Toast with Foie Gras frosting at Longman & Eagle in Chicago as an example of this trend.

IHOP, no stranger to indulgent breakfast, added new treats to its morning mix with items such as its summertime special of Cinnamon Sugar Double-Dipped French Toast, garnished with cinnamon sugar and whipped topping (pictured).

13. Ice Cream Sandwiches — Newfangled versions of this American classic include one flavored with Cheddar cheese at Qui in Austin, Texas, and a do-it-yourself offering at The Meatball Shop in New York City, where guests are brought out house-made cookies and ice cream and are set loose to make their own creations.

Ice Cream Sandwich chain Coolhaus has introduced a line inspired by Jewish delicatessens, including the Reuben (pictured), made by combining a Marbled Rye cookie (chocolate and vanilla whoopee-pie style cookie with caraway seeds) and pastrami ice cream, which is made with an ice cream base containing a savory “special sauce” by boutique ketchup manufacturer Sir Kensington spun with caramelized pastrami.

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7 Trends for 2016

Dec. 7, 2015

Planning next year’s menu or your next great concept? 2016 will be a wildy interesting year with hundreds of exciting possibilities.

We’ve talked to chefs and experts to narrow down what you’ll need to know in the year ahead.

For a start, great chefs will continue to open casual concepts. Bowl foods and restaurants specializing in them will keep growing. Wage wars?

Unfortunately. Food halls? You know it. Vegetables? Keep ’em coming. Snacks throughout the day? Yes. Here’s what to expect in ’16.

1. Cool Bowls Bowl foods will show up on more menus. Heard of acai bowls?

They’re the new smoothie, according to consultants and trend watchers Baum + Whiteman in their annual trends report.

Acai bowls start with frozen pulp from the superfruit, thinned out to a scoopable texture with milk (usually soy), and finished with fruit, granola, chia seeds, coconut flakes, peanut butter or other toppings. Like the one at right from Jugos in Boston, they menu for about $10.

Savory bowls are also easy to serve and are growing in popularity.

Jose Andres’s expanding three-unit fast casual Beefsteak chain specializes in bowls of cooked-to-order vegetables assembled with different grains, sauces and toppings, as well as optional meats or other proteins.

Poke bowls are next on the raw fish front. Cubed ahi tuna or other fish is marinated in a bolder, more savory sauce than its ceviche cousin and served over seaweed-seasoned rice. The Hawaiian dish is all over L.A. and is also popping up in Boston, New York and Salt Lake City.

2. Snacks and Blurred Dayparts Make room on your menu for snacks as customers continue to want customizable experiences and something to nosh whenever the craving hits. Increasingly, guests are looking for snacks that deliver protein and other nutrients. The ideal snack combines sweetness with salty, spicy or smoky flavors. The chorizo-stuffed dates at Paul Kahan’s Avec in Chicago are a perfect example. Here are more: • At The Violet Hour cocktail lounge in Chicago, snacks include roasted nuts with cayenne, paprika, sugar and oregano; and a truffled ricotta tartine of toasted rye bread topped with ricotta, truffle oil, herbs, honey and arugula.

• At Bryant Ng’s Cassia in L.A.: Kaya (coconut jam)-filled toast made from brioche and served with a slow-cooked egg.

• At Al’s Place in San Francisco: French fries served with smoked apple sauce.

• At Sambar in L.A.: Chicken wings finished with Malabar hot sauce and summer fruit chutney.

3. Southern Roots 2016 will embrace the South and its ultimate culinary icon, fried chicken—a carryover trend of the last few years that’s showing no signs of fatigue.

In fact, the experts at Baum + Whiteman have called 2016 “the year of fried chicken.” The dish not only crosses geographical lines, but the dining spectrum as well. A host of startup and independent fast casual chicken concepts (including David Chang’s Fuku, a fried chicken sandwich shop in NYC, and Danny Meyer’s Chicken Shack) will expand and give the chicken chains a run for their money.

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Are acai bowls the new smoothie? The superfruit-based dish’s popularity will take off in 2016.

Americans’ hankering for down-home foods is also bolstered by their growing distaste for mass-produced foods—and a yearning for the days of simply prepared dishes. Take Kevin Gillespie’s recently opened Revival in Decatur, GA. The James Beard winner is serving up his grandmother’s fried chicken as well as items like spiced Mississippi catfish in low country tomato gravy.

Similarly, at Muscadine in Portland, OR, Mississippi native Laura Rhoman serves up dishes true to her roots (many recipes are eight generations old), taking full advantage of the produce of the Northwest. Rhoman offers comforting meat-plus-threes with choices like fried chicken, salmon croquettes, Andouille sausage, red peas and collard greens.

Chefs are getting creative with chicken frying techniques. At Leon’s Oyster Shop in Charleston, SC, executive chef Ari Kolender experimented for weeks to come up with a signature brine and breading regimen that results in a thin, bound-to-the-skin crust that shatters when bitten.

The latest fried chicken trend is Nashville style, or “hot,” chicken. It’s popping up in unlikely places such as Brooklyn, NY, where “The Chew” host Carla Hall has just opened Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, selling this iteration.

Hot chicken gets a kick from a final douse of pepper-based sauce (each chef has his or her own). Hall marinates her chicken in pickle brine, rolls it in seasoned flour, then pressure fries before it gets sauced. (Hot chicken is usually served on bread to soak up any errant juices and oils).

4. Chef Casual As Americans’ appetite for casual dining shows no signs of waning, savvy upscale operators will implement a high-low strategy.

For example, last year, celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson opened the funky Street Bird Rotisserie in Harlem. Michael Mina of Bourbon Steak and Michael Mina restaurants launched a fast casual Ramen Bar in San Francisco. Karen and Quinn Hatfield shuttered their minimalist haute cuisine L.A. restaurant, Hatfield’s, and opened the bakery-café, Sycamore Kitchen, and a casual churrasco concept, Odys + Penelope.

2016 will bring more examples. Joshua Skenes of Michelin-starred Saison is testing the world of casual dining with Fat Noodle, a fastcasual Chinese concept that’s slated to open soon in San Francisco.

In San Diego, Mike Rosen and Richard Blais—the duo behind the upscale Juniper & Ivy—just opened Cracked, a quirky, downscale fried chicken joint serving an all-day menu of dishes centered around chicken and eggs.

In a risky act of foodservice subversiveness, well-known L.A. chef Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson of Coi and Alta in San Francisco are taking on the fast food giants where they’re most in demand—the inner cities of places like San Francisco, L.A. and Detroit. Their fast food concept, LocoL, is looking to disrupt Big Fast Food with a cleaner and healthier alternative.

5. Vegetables are Still Stars As Restaurant Hospitality predicted last year, vegetables will still be center stage in restaurant dishes in 2016, often taking center-of-the plate roles and pushing protein over to the side.

Consumers seeking more antioxidants and fewer hormones, rising beef prices, locavore-ism, a preponderance of farmers’ markets… these are some of the forces driving the trend. Plus, vegetables’ seasonal nature and variations among species make them exciting for chefs and patrons alike. The radish plate at Vedge in Philadelphia, for instance, features eight different varieties of the vegetable, prepared in eight different ways.

Vegetable-forward eating is shedding its earthy-crunchy rep and associations with odd meat substitutes. Hearty cauliflower or portobello steaks aren’t trying to be something they’re not.

They’re out and proud because chefs are making them delicious and satisfying. Watch for the “root to stem” movement (similar to the zero-waste, nose-to-tail movement) to gain traction, says Baum + Whiteman.

That’s not to say meats are going away. Not at all. Aaron London of Al’s Place in San Francisco uses meats as sides, garnishes or elements of composed plates. Along with your yellow-eye bean stew, you can order a side of duck breast with peach sauce.

That balanced approached is the real future of eating.

Another great example comes from Nico Osteria in Chicago, where the Brussels sprouts sandwich shows the how beautifully vegetables can headline a dish. Served on grilled toast, the crispy sprouts are topped with stracciatella and hazelnuts and finished with drizzled olive oil and honey.

6. Food Halls The U.S. got its first taste of the modern iteration of the food hall in 2010 when Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich launched Eataly in New York. Influenced by European markets, today’s food halls are showcases for local restaurant operators, food artisans and other purveyors.

2015 saw a food hall boom, and more will join their ranks in 2016.

Often housed in repurposed urban spaces, and featuring attractive communal dining spaces, these elevated offspring of the 1970s food court are showcases for local creativity and a stylish, social and convenient way to eat and shop. Some developers have even seen fit to include short-term incubator spaces for emerging concepts (Avanti, Denver; 4th Street Market, Santa Ana, CA.) Recently-opened food halls have included additional Eataly outposts, Manhattan’s popular Gotham West Market, the Southern food-focused Ponce City Market in Atlanta, revamped markets in L.A. (Grand Central Market) and New Orleans (St. Roch Market). St. Roch is emblematic of the taste level, depth and sophistication of the food hall movement, featuring a craft cocktail bar and coffee roaster, butcher, oyster bar and a handful of ethnic restaurant stalls.

Like Eataly, another food hall chain-in-the making is Seattle’s Market Hall, a project by Los Angeles restaurateur Tony Riviera. It’s being followed up by locations in Dallas, San Diego and San Francisco.

Other food halls in development include: • Anthony Bourdain’s yet-unnamed 155,000-sq.-ft. food hall at Pier 57, lower Manhattan. Once completed in 2017, the “chaotic, in a good way…Asian night market,” as the No Reservations star has described it, will be New York’s largest food hall.

• James Beard Public Market, Portland, OR, is named for the culinary icon born there. The indoor-outdoor waterfront space will be served by 90 vendor stalls.

7. Watching Wages and Workers Tips and minimum wage are the hot-button issues for restaurants in 2016.

First, tipping: A few restaurants have tried doing away with tipping in recent years with limited success, only to lose good servers to the competition. But with high-profile restaurateurs like Tom Colicchio and Danny Meyer (citing the public’s often-arbitrary and unfair tipping practices) testing the no-tip waters, experts think the trend stands a chance of catching on. Bel Air Bar + Grill will go tipless in 2016.

“I think that we will soon see a lot of restaurants converting to a tipless system, with the restaurants paying both higher wages at the front-ofhouse and back-of-house...Wages should be determined by the employer and not the customer’s whim,” opines Chris Emerling, the restaurant’s chef de cuisine.

A Quinnipiac survey released last month showed the public isn’t buying in just yet. The majority of New York City residents surveyed called increasing menu prices or charging a 20 percent administrative fee to cover compensation a “bad idea.”

Minimum wage? That’s a different story. In the Quinnipiac survey, 70 percent of those polled said they favored New York’s plan to up the minimum wage for fast food workers to $15 per hour over the next three years.

The National Restaurant Association, however, predicts mandatory wage hikes will have a devastating effect on the industry and workers.

In a position paper on the topic, the group states that restaurants “are labor-intensive businesses that already devote about a third of their sales to wages and benefits...Pre-tax profit margins for restaurants typically range from 3 to 6 percent. Many restaurateurs would be forced to limit hiring, increase prices, cut employee hours or implement a combination of all three to pay for the wage increase.”

Vedge’s eight different radishes, eight different ways.

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2016 Flavor Trends www.comaxflavors.com Nov. 30, 2015

There is a dizzying amount of food and beverage choices available in the marketplace. Today’s consumers continue to seek healthier choices and new culinary experiences.

In response to consumers demanding less processed, better-for-you products, Comax Flavors reveals the 2016 Green Goodness and Cup of Tea collections. The Cuban Culture and Chef’s Table collections address the younger demographics, multicultural consumers and consumers craving authentic culinary experiences.

Each Comax Flavor collection is comprised of a variety of food and beverage applications such as ready-to-drink beverages, alcohol, dairy, ice cream, baked goods, confections, sauces, marinades and seasonings.

Green Goddess

Cuban Culture

As part of the health and wellness lifestyle trend, consumers are looking for natural, less processed, better-for-you products.

Naturally, consumers are gravitating toward green vegetables and fruits, putting them in the limelight. Preparations range from raw and cold-pressed to cooked and grilled. Supported by the waste management and sustainability trend, stem-to-root cooking is gaining momentum, which is also contributing to the growth of green produce. “There’s been a gradual increase in green-themed products and to tap into this trend and meet the demand for green vegetables and fruits, we created a unique green range,” states Catherine Armstrong, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Comax Flavors.

The recent lift of the U.S. Cuban embargo is creating new opportunities for Americans and propelling Cuba into the public eye. Research by the International Monetary Fund estimates that Cuba is bracing for as many as 10 million American tourists per year versus the 700,000 U.S. tourists it received last year. Airlines, cruise ships and businesses are gearing up for Cuba’s expansion.

Cuban culture with a focus on cuisine will be influential in the culinary scene. “As we know, multicultural consumers and the younger generation are driving new flavor profiles. We see Cuba as a natural extension for the next ethnic food inspiration and wanted to offer authentic flavors,” says Armstrong.

Flavors in this group include: • Avocado Pear • Broccoflower • Green Jackfruit • Jalapeño Honey

Cup of Tea

Chef’s Table

According to Mintel, U.S. retail sales of tea and Ready-To-Drink tea grew 19.8% to $7.3 billion between 2009 and 2014. The Tea Association of the USA cited that 85% of tea consumed in America is iced tea, and loose leaf iced tea is gaining in popularity.

The popularity of tea has lead to a focus on specialty tea, namely Matcha. According to the Sage Group, U.S. retail sales of Matcha green tea powder reached about 55% in 2014. This tea trend is further evidenced by The National Restaurant Association’s annual “What’s Hot 2015 Culinary Forecast,” which revealed specialty ice tea such as flavored tea and matcha as trending in non-alcoholic beverages. “To address consumers’ affinity for tea with healthful benefits, we developed a variety of emerging tea profiles,” says Armstrong.

‘Customer experience’ is a hot buzzword as brands and services try to capture and engage consumers. Driven by technology, consumers are getting accustomed to sensory experiences; and their desire to actively participate in a myriad of experiences is growing. Consumers seek social, interactive and authentic culinary experiences and chef’s tables are meeting this need.

This trend is evidenced by Netflix’s 2015 docu-series Chef’s Table, which profiles renowned international chefs. From the preparation of the ingredients to the plating of their meal, consumers get to go behind the scenes and see chefs in action.

“Flavor and texture are key factors in consumers’ culinary experiences. How food and beverages are prepared, such as fermenting, pickling and smoking, is becoming significant. We created an array of flavors based on specific preparations to appeal to a wide audience,” notes Armstrong.

Flavors in this group include: • Cascara Tea • Dandelion Tea • Matcha Rose • Turmeric Orange Ginger

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Flavors in this group include: • Café Cubano • Cuban Sofrito • Mamey Mojito • Toasted Coconut Flan

Flavors in this group include: • Coconut Vinegar • Pickled Artichoke • Roasted Strawberry • Smoked Avocado

DECEMBER 2015

FoodBytes

NEXT-LEVEL FLAVOR RS

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tŚĂƚ͛Ɛ the next wasabi? Or sriracha? ĂƚĂƐƐĞŶƚŝĂů͛Ɛ MenuTrends crunches the numbers on the flavors and in ngredients that have been growing rapidly at innov o ative operators across the country. These are the nextgeeneration flavors from around the world ʹ Spain, France, Japan, the Middle East, Italy, Africa, and beyond. If cutting-edge flavors matter to you, keep this list handy in 2016.

Squash, radicchio with Treviso, bay leaf, and espelette Ăƚ EĞǁ zŽƌŬ͛Ɛ Rebelle.

Roast brussels sprouts and heirloom carrots, pear mostarda glaze, and bagna cauda at sĂŶĐŽƵǀĞƌ͛Ɛ EŝĐůŝ͛Ɛ Next Door.

Roasted cauliflower with green apple, golden raisin, lovage, berbere spice, and salmon caviar at Local Kitchen and Bar in Ferndale, MI.

1

PADRON PEPPERS

2

PISTOU

3

ESPELETTE

4

SUMAC

5

MOSTARDA

6

SORREL

7

ROMESCO

8

TURMERIC

9

SHISO

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Like shishito peppers, every so often one of these peppers grown in Northwestern Spain packs a punch of heat.

Sometimes called ͞&ƌĞŶĐŚ ƉĞƐƚŽ͕͟ this mix of garlic, basil, and olive oil is a staple in Provencal French cooking.

Also called piment Ě͛ ƐƉĞůĞƚƚĞ, these bright red peppers are produced in &ƌĂŶĐĞ͛Ɛ Basque region and often found dried or powdered.

The dark red berriees of the Middle Eastern sumac bush are typically found powdered and sold aas a spice ʹ it has a tart, lemony flavor.

An Italian condiment in which fruits are candied and preserved with a bit of mustard seeds, powder, or oil, often accompanying meats.

This green leafy plant has a citrusy, tangy, lemony taste, and is often used in salads, egg dishes, orr soups.

This bright red sauce or dip made from roasted nuts and red peppers is a staple in the Catalan region n of Spain.

This bright yellow spice which adds a vivid hue to any dish has been trending for its health properties ʹ look for it in smoothies and juices.

Also known as Japan nese basil, this relative to mint is often served with sushi, but it can also be added to salads, soups, rice bowls, and stir fries.

BERBERE This Ethiopian spice mix often includes chili peppers, fenugreek seeds, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, paprika, and more.

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datassential.com | 312-219655-6 049 436 59 5

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Seaweed is the new Kale www.thefiscaltimes.com

by Beth Braverman Dec. 21, 2015

Foodies are fickle folk. Remember the summer of the cronut or the mania surrounding food trucks? Burgers, cupcakes and coconut water have all had their moment on the plate, but the obsession disappears almost as quickly as it’s digested. Next year promises a new crop of food fads. Some of the trends are influenced by Americans’ desire to eat healthy, while others play off existing trends. Here’s a look at what’s on the 2016 menu:

6. Beer cans are back.

While canned beer may conjure thoughts of high school house parties, the cheaper containers are experiencing a resurgence, thanks to growing demand from craft brewers. Demand for the highly designed, 16-ounce cans favored by craft brewers (versus the 12-ounce variety used by big brewers like Anheuser-Busch) has grown so quickly that there’s a shortage of the larger containers.

1. Seaweed is the new kale.

Packed with antioxidants, fiber, iodine and good fats, seaweed is in the spotlight as more nutrition-focused Americans search for the next super food. The ocean vegetable is “set to explode thanks to its sustainability angle and umami appeal,” referring to the Japanese word for the fifth basic taste, according to the 2016 Trend Forecast from the Specialty Food Association.

7. Coffee gets creative.

The latest coffee trends will perk up even the most jaded java lover with newfangled caffeinated concoctions that range from carbonated coffee to iced coffee mocktails, according to Sterling-Rice Group’s 2016 Culinary Trends report. ”Coffee is no longer just a hot beverage you have in a cup with breakfast in the morning,” says Andrea Graves, business planning and marketing specialist with the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center at Oklahoma State University.

2. GMO animals hit the plate.

Last month, the FDA approved AquAdvantage salmon for sale, making it the first genetically modified animal to get the controversial approval. Almost of a third of Americans said food that is not genetically modified is an important factor to them, according to a recent survey from The Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

While salmon is the first GMO animal to reach consumers, up to 80 percent of processed American foods contain plant GMOs. 3. African flavors are hot.

Chefs are looking to Africa for inspiration in 2016, with 20% more chefs naming flavors from the continent as a hot trend for next year, according to the National Restaurant Association.

This month, Conde Nast Traveler declared that African cuisine is pushing Mexican aside as the ethnic cuisine of the moment, noting that chefs of Harlem’s Red Rooster and L.A.’s Revolutionario are tapping into their African backgrounds to create new dishes.

4. Fast food restaurants go healthy.

As diners become more aware of chemicals and additives in their food, fast food chains are adjusting their menus, according to food consultant Baum+Whiteman. Already, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Panera Bread, McDonald’s, Papa John’s and Subway have made moves to make their menus healthier and devoid of artificial ingredients and additives.

Early next year, well-known chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson will launch LocoL, a nutritious, eco-friendly, fast-food chain in so-called food deserts to bring healthier options to those who haven’t been able to afford them. “They’re committed to offering chef-driven, real, quality ingredients at fast food prices,” says L.A.based food expert Jason Kessler, who runs the blog Fly & Dine.

5. The battle for grocery delivery heats up.

Amazon Fresh has been giving Fresh Direct a run for its money, but the supermarket delivery market is getting even more crowded.

This month, Target expanded its partnership with startup Instacart to offer home delivery of foodstuffs in Chicago, in addition to San Francisco and Minneapolis. Instacart has similar partnerships with Whole Foods, Costco and Petco. In September, Walmart expanded its free grocery pickup service in eight U.S. cities. Market research firm IBISWorld forecasts online grocery shopping to grow 9.5% each year with the potential of becoming a $9.4 billion industry by 2017.

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8. Restaurant prices are on the rise.

While overall food prices haven’t changed much this year, the cost of dining out is growing five times faster than inflation, according to the latest Consumer Price Index data. Next year, the cost is expected to increase slightly faster than the cost of food at home. Chain restaurants are hiking prices to make up for weakening traffic, according to trade website Burger Business. Shake Shack and Chili’s also are planning menu price increases next year to accommodate rising wages.

9. Sugar is enemy du jour.

Led by health-conscious Baby Boomers, sugar has become the top item that consumers are trying to avoid in their diets. The number of sugar-free, unsweetened, or reduced-sugar products being shipped and consumed increased by double digits last year, according to the NPD Group. The group expects consumers to return to eggs and oils as recent research has shown the nutritional benefits of certain fats.

“This isn’t just something that consumers are saying they want to do,” says Darren Seifer, the company’s food and beverage industry analyst.

“They’re actually doing it. They’re cutting back on soft drinks and fruit juices and shifting away from sweetened snacks to fresh fruit or savory items.”

10. Snacks take center stage.

Nearly a quarter of all snack foods consumed last year were eaten at mealtime, according to NPD group, which expects the trend to continue into 2016. One of the main drivers is the growing number of single-person households, since solo eaters are more likely to opt for snack foods for dinner. When making their selection, single diners prefer single-serve packages and are increasingly turning to “better-for-you” snacks, like fresh fruit, breakfast bars, and yogurt.

11. Ramen gets upscale.

Once the stereotypical fare of cash-strapped college students, the classic Japanese noodle soup has soared to new heights. This month, a Tokyo restaurant became the first ramen shop to receive a Michelin star, and Conde Nast Traveler expects more ramen shops to pop up in 2016. “From Milan to Madison,” Conde Nast Traveler says, “ramen has spawned slurpworthy iteration after iteration of its standard components: noodles and broth.”

TASTEE T OMORROW T ODAY BLENDSWITHBENNEFITS Flavorful herbs and spicesaadd everyday versatilityt o good-for-youinngredientslik e matcha and chia. a. balancethe Matcha Green Te ea: Ginger and citrussbalanc slightly bitternot es of matcha Flaxseed: Mediterranean herbs invitte flax to savory dishes ChiaS eed:Chiabec omes zesty when nccombined with citrus, chile and garlic Turmeric:Disc overs weetpo ssibilitie es when turmeric is blended with cocoa, cinnamon and d nutmeg

HEATT+T AANG Spicy finds a welcomec ontrast with tangy accents—lime, rice vinegar,, yuzu, tamarind, Meyer lemon, crranberry,, kumquats and ponzu—to elevate the eating experienc x e.

PeruvianChilie s+L ime: Citruspair edwithr ocoto, ajípanc a,ajíamarilloandmor e SambalS auce:SpicyS outheastAsiansauc emade withchilie s,ric evinegar,,sugarandgarlic

ALTTERNATTIVE “PULSE” PULSE PRO TEINSS

ANCESTRALFL AVVOORS Modern dishes reconnect with native ingredients to celebrate fo ood that hattas tastes real, pureandsatis fying. g.

Packed with protein and nutrient utrients, pulses such as dried peas, beans and lentils are elevated when paired with delicious ingre edients.

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PigeonP eas (called To oor Dal when split):T raditionally paired with cumin and coconut Cranberry Beans (alsoc alled Borlotti): Perfectly enhanced with sage and Albariño wine Black Beluga Lentils: Uniquely y accented with peach and mustar ard

TROPICALA SIAN Adventurous palates seek flavors fromnnew regions.

Tw wo spotsinS outheast Asia—Malaysiia and the Philippines—offerdis tinctiveingr edie ents and signature recipes for vibrant far a e. e Pinoy BBQ: Popular Filipino streetf ood flavored e with soy sauce, lemon, garlic, sugar, pepper and banana akketchup RendangCurr y: Malaysian spice pastewithm mild heat made fromchilie s, lemongrass, garlic, ginger,tamari nd, coriander,, and turmeric

CULINARYY--INFUSEDSIPS T ee classic culinaryt echniques provide new tastes and Thr inspiration in the creation of the latest libationss.

Pickled: Combines tart with spice forz esty results P Roasted: Distinctivebr ownedfla vor adds richness B Brûléed: C aramelized sugar note provides depth

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12 trends that will impact restaurants in 2016 www.restaurant-hospitality.com Oct. 28, 2015 The two most noteworthy trends in for 2016 have nothing to do with food, according to long-time food trend mavens Baum+Whiteman. Rather, the consultants expect a revolution in high-speed food delivery and an ever-louder national conversation regarding tipping and pay disparities to have the greatest impact on the restaurant world.

Baum+Whiteman creates high-profile restaurants around the world for hotels, restaurant companies, museums and other consumer destinations. Based in NYC, their projects include the late Windows on the World and the magical Rainbow Room, and the world's first food courts. The complete report can be found on their site at www.baumwhiteman.com/2016Trends.pdf

2. Clean eating will gain more traction.

After watching consumers attack Big Food over chemicals and additives, Big Restaurants are suddenly ditching some artificial and bad-for-you ingredients from their menus. A recent survey found that 36 percent of consumers worried about "chemicals" in their food. In another survey, 40 percent of consumers report it’s “very important” that foods use all-natural ingredients, free of GMOs and artificial flavors or colors.

Odd that most of this activity is occurring at quick-service and fastcasual chains, with little word from full-service restaurants. But getting rid of selected no-nos is no mere fad. Everyone will scramble to "sanitize" their menus.

1. Amazon, Uber and others will shake up the delivery game.

Tech-driven delivery is 2015-2016's Big Disrupter of food retailing and foodservice. Delivery affects everyone from McDonald's to white tablecloth concepts. Smartphoners, latching onto the ease of locating a restaurant, ordering, paying, and getting loyalty points—without ever speaking to a human being—are driving this revolution.

Muscling into high-speed food delivery: Google, UberEATS, Amazon Prime Now, Postmates, Grub Hub, Yelp. None of them make food. They collect fees and personal information about who orders what, when and from which restaurants.

Most fast-casual outfits, initially designed for consumer involvement in the assembly process, will have to wrestle with this delivery challenge.

They're all racing to your door. UberEATS gets a limited menu to your curb in ten minutes by preloading food into drivers' cars.

Amazon's Prime Now app gets entire menus delivered in an hour (39 minutes in Seattle). The Postmates Pop app promises 15 minutes in San Francisco.

3. Could pasta become an endangered species?

In the last five years, pasta sales dropped 8% in Australia, 13% in Europe and 25% in Italy of all places. It isn't a crisis here yet, but pasta's down 6% as Americans focus on proteins and shed carbs, or shun gluten, or subscribe to Paleo diets.

Even carboholics have more nutritious alternatives, such as quinoa, chickpeas, lentils, spelt, barley, chia. So it looks like a trend.

Vegetable spiralizers are selling like hotcakes. Chefs will experiment with vegetable ribbons to replace pasta. And look for pastas incorporating more vegetables, too.

Now things get blurry. Outfits like Amazon and Google ultimately won't care whether consumers order rotisserie chicken from Boston Market or Kroger or Dean & Deluca or a local food truck.

This means the battle for food dollars among various distribution channels will intensify.

The danger for restaurants: Suppose customers are craving barbecued ribs, and sites like Amazon or Uber or Google gave them a dozen restaurants and gourmet shops near their zip code, along with professional reviews of these producers, along with rankings?

Poof! Restaurants lose marketing control of their businesses.

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To read more on Baum & Whiteman’s take on all of 2016’s Hottest Trends, you can download the entire report free at http://www.baumwhiteman.com/2016Trends.pdf

4. Vegetables will continue to step up on the plate.

5. Have tipping and wages reached a tipping point?

We've reached a tipping point for vegetables. They're pushing animal protein to the side of the plate, sometimes entirely off it. Relentlessly rising beef prices, concerns over hormones, a scramble for ever-more antioxidants, health and diet concerns, growth of farmers’ markets, locavore proponents, increasing numbers of flexitarians: All the stars have nicely aligned.

"Fundamentally, the cost of going out to a fine-dining restaurant is false." Danny Meyer said so recently, while he explained why he's moving his restaurants to a no-tipping policy, thereby raising wages for all of his staffers, front- and back-of-the-house.

It helps that vegetables are more seasonal than animals, adding menu excitement for restaurants recognizing that buying seasonally reduces food costs and keeps menus fresh. Say hello to "root to stem" dining, a logical extension of the nose-to-tail movement, with restaurants serving vegetables trimmings otherwise heading for the trash. Say hello to "vegetable forward" restaurants, with chefs deploying flesh as a condiment rather than the main act on the plate.

Not just vegetarians and vegans, consumers behind this shift are omnivores who believe they eat too many animals. It’s no accident that Bon Appetit named quirky Al's Place, in San Francisco's Mission District, as best new restaurant of 2015. Most meat on their menu is listed under "side dishes," and the food is head-spinningly complex: sunchoke curry with black lime, cod and grapefruit; brined and fermented french fries with smoked applesauce. Nothing's wasted; citrus peels are transformed into flavored oils that are frozen for freshness and eggplant mayo is made with pods of shelling beans.

The transforming idea is that veg-forward restaurants no longer sell hippie food tasting like punishment. They're serving great meals composed mostly (or entirely) of vegetables that are great to look at, satisfyingly memorable and compatible with wine.

How mainstream are we? White Castle now has a veggie slider, served on a vegan bun.

In truth, the restaurant industry's amazing growth over the past five decades has depended on artificially low prices that in turn are based upon underpaid labor. In the fast food business, low labor costs are subsidized by taxes on the general public to pay for employees' food stamps and other supplementary welfare payments.

In fancy restaurants, your $36 main course could easily have been made by a $10/hour cook sweating in an overheated kitchen.

Social and economic trends move glacially—and then seem to happen all at once. While most people reject no-tipping restaurants as un-American, the movement now has momentum. Fact is that even above $15/hour, restaurants are finding it impossible to hire cooks while keeping their labor costs in line, indicating two things: (1) pay is too low; and (2) prices are too low. If forced to pay the full price for food, would consumers eat out less? Quite probably.

You might conclude that we have too many restaurants and not enough cooks, and that shifts in prices and wages might even things out. At least that’s what Economics 101 teaches us.

Most no-tipping restaurants tend to be upscale. In highfalutin restaurants with multicourse price-fixed menus, service generally is included in the price. Recently opened Dirt Candy adds a 20 percent administrative fee. Japanese Ippuku in Berkeley imposes a $6 service charge per person. Ivar’s Salmon House raised prices and wages so workers are paid least $15 per hour and declared it a success. But it isn't all sweetness: Two restaurants in San Francisco, Bar Agricole and Trou Normand, went tip-free and then switched back because they couldn't hang onto servers.

But the policy is trickling down.

Sqirl, in LA, makes a big deal of vegetable toast with green garlic crème fraiche, spicy pickled carrots, and house za’atar, shown at left.

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6. Poke may be the next ceviche/sashimi/crudo.

8. Acai bowls: Pulp, not fiction.

Poke is a Hawaiian mainstay that's migrating to the mainland.

Basically it’s a bowl of marinated chopped or cubed raw fish (traditionally ahi tuna) served over over seaweed-seasoned rice.

The dish is all over L.A. and starting to surface in places like Salt Lake City, Boston and NYC.

Move over, smoothies. Acai bowls are the next big hipster food.

Using a fruit from Brazil, they're migrating from Hawaii and spreading cross-country. It’s fundamentally a big-bowl smoothie, made from frozen acai pulp and soy or other milk plus bananas, bits of other fruit and lots of ice, with toppings like granola, chia seeds, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and peanut butter.

You eat it with a spoon and it tastes fairly close to ice cream.

You also pay about $10. Google searches for acai bowls have more than doubled this year.

7. The rise of “new-ish Jew-ish” cuisine will continue.

There's a resurgence of Jewish food.

We’re talking about chef-driven modern Jewish cookery (or even modern Jewish heresy) rather than more traditional heavyweight Eastern European dishes.

How come now? Because chefs everywhere are exploring their roots and cuisines. "Heritage cuisines" are being expressed with stories behind them. Grandchildren and great-grandchildren are reinventing dishes and foodways that second-generation immigrants turned their backs on (except at family gatherings and holidays.)

Atlanta's General Muir typifies the trend, curing its own meats, rolling its bagels and turning out food with only a slight accent: matzoh ball soup, and smoked duck with peaches and blackberry gastrique; chopped liver, but also halibut with heirloom tomato sauce and pea tendrils; gruyere burger with crisped pastrami.

9. The Obsession with Fried Chicken will grow.

Shake Shack made headlines this year with a limited release of a fairly conventional ChickenShack sandwich. So did David Chang, with an incendiary sandwich at Fuku, perhaps a nascent chain. They follow an emerging obsession. No longer just southern, fried chicken sandwiches have gone creative and ethnic.

In Fuku's case, you're munching on a mammoth boneless thigh marinated in habanero purée, buttermilk, and Changian spices, deep-fried and topped with some acidic vegetables. Barbecue maven Mighty Quinn smokes its thighs before frying and tops them with fermented chilies-garlic-lime sauce.

Nashville Hot is a cult favorite that's spreading across the country.

It's meant to burn your lips for days on end. Like buffalo wings, Nashville Hot Chicken is dunked in hot sauce after frying; but it ain't plain old hot sauce. This is a thermonuclear paste of melted lard, sugar, sadistic quantities of cayenne, sugar and each chef's secret spices. It is showing up in fried chicken joints and sitdown restaurants, including Carla Hall's soon-to-open spot in NYC.

Shaya, a New Orleans venture of Israeli Alon Shaya and multistarred chef John Besh, calls its food "modern Israeli, with roots across North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Greece. Little on the menu is geographically specific. Force your gaze past enticing small plates (five kinds of hummus; foie gras with rose tahini and carob molasses) and you'll find shakshuka with local shrimp, and lamb with whipped feta and stone fruit tabouleh. Esquire named it restaurant of the year.

Plan Check Kitchen+ Bar's fried chicken sandwich is on trend with current tastes. Photo: Plan Check Kitchen + Bar

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10. Sometimes heat alone will not be enough.

America's pepperheads are (finally) discovering that heat is not enough ... that food also has flavors. We're watching an interesting shift from just-plain-incendiary to aromatic and flavorful spice blends and sauces, including: • Piri-piri peppers blended with tamer spices, herbs, citrus peels, used as bbq rubs or as bases for piquant sauces.

• Sweet-spicy gochujang, a thick Korean bbq sauce made from malted barley, fermented soybean flour, red pepper and rice flour.

• Shichimi-togarashi, a blend of red chili pepper, black pepper, sesame seeds, dried orange peel, seaweed flakes and poppy seeds.

Also called Japanese Seven-Spice, it starts out hot then shifts to complexity, plus a bit of crunch.

• Berbere, a highly fragrant but hot Ethiopian mix makes a great rub or mix for braised food: cardamom, hot peppers, paprika, cumin, clove, cinnamon, fenugreek, nutmeg, turmeric, ginger.

11. Snacking will suggest new trending flavors.

We seem to be moving from three meals a day to none!

Snacks are obliterating meals. It's not just Millennials or dashboard diners; growing numbers of Americans snack four or five times daily.

Snacking increased 47 percent from 2010 to 2014. We raise this point because snack flavor profiles are changing: • The ground is shifting away from sweet to savory, and from highcarb to nutrient dense high-protein indulgent snacks. Even when sweeteners are involved, they're often combined with spicy.

• Spicy-salty-savory ethnic snacks are afternoon favorites and meal replacements: hummus variations, flavored popcorns (like seaweedand-sesame), chili-citrus potato chips, mango-chili-lime chips.

Spice of the Year: Turmeric Showing up fresh in health food shops and juice bars, powdered in supermarkets. It's what makes curry powder yellow, theoretically cures almost everything, and is getting a big play at retail but hardly showing up on restaurant menus ...yet.

• Sour is replacing sweet. Consumers are seeking deep contrasts to richness, which explains why fermented condiments (like kimchee and house-pickled vegetables) are popular on menus. Tart and bitter is also rising in popularity with new kale, crunchy broccoli and other vegetable chips.

• Bitter is also gaining momentum, especially in beverages like coffee and tea.

12. Retailers will renew their attack on restaurants.

In our 2014 forecast we highlighted how U.S. retailers are building revenue by luring shoppers into stores for snacks and meals. Retailers, we said, were discovering what we call the magic of "dwell time" ...the longer you keep a shopper on the premises, the more the shopper will buy per hour of stay.

• Outdoor World, owned by Bass Pro Shops, has installed large-scale Islamadora Fish Co. restaurants in its hunting, camping and recreation departments.

• Whole Foods just invested in the boutique high-volume sandwich-salad chain, Mendocino Farms, to help them grow and will be opening units at select Whole Foods Markets and their more popularly priced 365 stores.

• Lexus has a lifestyle showroom in Tokyo called Intersect, with a street-level cafe and a bistro upstairs serving a global French-Japanese-Mexican mishmash with lots of pretention.

• At their Experience Center in Atlanta, Porsche teams an auto showroom with an upscale restaurant called 365, serving simple food with regional accents. It looks onto a driver development track. Have the pork jowl with white bean purée and collards for $24. (photo above)

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S TERLING-RICE GROUP ’S

CULINARY TRENDS FOR 2016 Boy, we sure are digging our food these days! SRG’s 2016 Culinary Trends show that today’s cooks and diners continue to explore, experiment, and heartily enjoy what’s new in food. And what’s new is often not new at all, but a rediscovered ingredient, drink, or dish that has been refashioned with contemporary palates in mind. These palates are definitely expanding, turning to more savory compositions and new regional cuisines, while also gladly accepting familiar foods in delightful new formats. These are all signs that the 2016 dining public is one that understands food better than ever and is celebrating the many ways we now have to savor it. – Kara Nielsen, Culinary Director, SRG

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SWITCHIN’ TO SWITCHELS

‘ONOLICIOUS HAWAIIAN

With vinegar-based shrubs now firmly in the beverage pantry, another colonial refresher beckons: switchels. Known as haymakers in New England, this blend of water, apple ciderr vinegar, gingerr, and honey, maple syrup, or molasses traditionally quenched thirsts during harvest. Today’s switchels—bottled or homemade —leverage the health-promoting benefits of apple cider vinegar with a dash of American heritage.

• • • •

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• Restaurant s : Liholiho Yacht Cl u b , S a n F r a n c i s c o ; N o r e e t u h , Manhat tan • Poké Bowls : Big Daddy’s Poké Sha c k , L o s A n g e l e s ; M o to ma k i, Boulder, CO • M u s u b i : A - F r a m e, L o s A n g e l e s ; ‘Aina pop -up, San Francisco

C i d e R o a d O r g a n i c Sw i t c h e l U p M o u n t a i n Sw i t c h e l F i r e Ci d e r B r a g g O r g a n i c A p p l e Ci d e r Vinegar Drink s

OYSTERS TO THE RESCUE With sustainable seafood as importantt as ever, cultivated oysters are big heroes. Filling in for wild oysters struggling in acidified and warming waterways, farmed oysters not only do their part filtering pollutants from our coastal waterways, they are also fueling an exciting resurgence of oyster and raw bars, once staples in American dining.

Expect the burgeoning millennial taste for oysters to grow in years to come.

• Boston : Island Creek Oyster Bar, Selec t Oyster Bar • Ch a r l e s t o n : T h e O r d i n a r y • Seat tle : The Walrus and the Carpenter • i P h o n e A p p : P e a r l, w i t h d a il y oyster of ferings in selec t cities

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Creative, delicious ( ‘ono ) Hawaiian cuisine is finally making a splash o n t h e ma i nla n d . I n s p i r e d c h e f s a r e t r a n sl a t i n g t r a d i t i o n a l i sl a n d in g r e d ie nt s in t o c o o l n e w d ish e s in fine dining, while fast- casual entrepreneurs introduce bowlloving crowds to the joy of poké, a r aw s e a f o o d s a la d . Eve n S p a m ( sometimes housemade ) is get ting s o m e l o v e , i n c l a s si c m u s u b i r i c e and-nori wraps and beyond.

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THE SAVORY SIDE OF YOGURT We c a n p r o b a b l y t h a n k O t t o l e n g h i for our growing excitement about la b n e h , t h e t hic k , s alt e d M i d d l e E as t e r n yo g u r t . Bu t it als o m e sh e s w it h o u r e f f o r t s t o r e d uce su g a r and savor more Mid dle Easter n c u i si n e. O f t e n s e r ve d w i t h o li ve o il , s p ic e s a n d s e e d s , a n d flat bread , labneh also plays well w it h ve g e t a b l e s , g rain s ala d s , a n d roaste d f ruit .

• New York: Sohha Savor y Yogur t; White Mustache Labneh; The Chaat Co Savor y Yogur t Snack • National : Karoun Dairies Labne • On the Menu : Evo Kitchen + Bar, Por tland, ME; Madcapra, Loos Angeles; Shaya, New Orleans

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COFFEE’S NEW GUISES Goodbye, Caffè Latte. Hello, Coffee Mocktail. And Soda. And Shrub.

Coffee on nitro tap; dry-hopped coffee on nitro tap. Coffee cherry brews. Coffee butter brews. There’s no end to the creative libations coming our way from inventive baristas. With an unprecedented groundswell of fantastic coffee, plus a plethora of beautifully designed coffee bars, it’s no wonder there are so many new coffee concoctions for every hour of the day.

• Cascara (Cof fee Fruit Infusions) : Pixán, Boulder, CO ; Slingshhot Cof fee Co., Raleigh, NC • Mocktails: Cold Fashioned at Cup & Bar, Por tland, OR • Sodas: Café Tonic at Saint Frank Cof fee, San Francisco • Unique Brews: Cor vus Hopped Cof fee, Denver; Stumptown Nitro Cold Brew in cans

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SWIGGABLE SOUPS

PUMPED-UP PORRIDGE

One step beyond all those fancy pressed juices comes bottled sippable soups. We’re not talkiing chicken noodle, but rather bright and spicy gazpachos, creamy coconut cauliflower, and even mushroom-based broths. Savor oy flavors, more fiber, and, of course, por tabilit y make nutrient-rich bottled soups a convenient graband-go meal (or even a handy cleanse) and without the sugar off juices.

Porridge is making a comeback, thanks to the ever-widening selection of grains and seeds— ancient and other wise — chefs are discovering. Porridges made of r ye, spelt, black rice, or quinoa feature some sweet but mostly savor y toppings like mushrooms m, vegetables, smoked fish, and eggs.

Some tilt toward congee, others toward oatmeal, and still others ser ve as side dishes. We’ll all be wanting some more, please.

• Mucho Gazpacho: Bravo Tomato, Green Gazpacho, Beet Gazpacho • Tío Gazpacho: Clásico, Verde, de Sol • Splendid Spoon: Cauliflower Coconut Soup, Vegan Bone Broth

• Los Angeles: Porridge and Puf fs pop-up; Wanderlust Café • Brooklyn : Faro • Chicago: 42 Grams

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INTENSIFIED DESSERT M i s o . M a l t . R i c o t t a w h e y? C o r n husk ash?? These ingredient s and more are turning up in surprising p la c e s , na m e l y d e s s e r t . Pa s t r y chefs, ice cream makers, and co nf e c t io n e r s ar e t a p pin g au c o u r a n t c u li n a r y t r i c k s ( b r o w n i n g , burning, smoking ) and flavor ful ingredient s ( dair y whey, malt , u ma mi - r ic h mis o p as t e ) t o a d d sophisticated taste dimensions n b e y o n d j u s t s w e e t t o o u r f avo r i t e d e s s e r t s an d t r eat s .

• Charlot tesville, VA : Miso Caramels, Gearhar t s Fine Chocolates • M a n h a t t a n : M i s o Ch e r r y I c e Cr e a m , O d d F e l l o w s I c e Cr e a m Co . ; Co r n H u s k M e r i n g u e , Co s m e • S a n Fr a n c is c o : B r o w n B u t te r I c e Cream, Rich Table

PASS THE PLATTER

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The latest way to dine? Familys t y l e m e als ma d e of ce nt e r pie ce proteins — whole fish or chickens, piles of ribs — and accompanying si d e s . O r j u s t a w h o l e m e n u o f d i s h e s m e a n t f o r t h e t a b l e t o s h a r e.

C h e f s t o d a y a r e h av i n g f u n c o o k i n g larger cut s of meat and prepaaring beautiful plat ters of goodies.

D i n e r s c a n r e la x i n t o a n e w c o nv i v ia l s p i r i t a t t h e t a b l e w h e r e one doesn’t have to share a small plate anymore.

• San Francisco: Mourad; Hawker Fare; The Progress • Atlanta: King and Duke; Ladybird Grove and Mess Hall • Washington, DC: Maketto; Provision No. 14

MAIL-ORDER MEAL MANIA Okay, so mail has nothing to do with it. Overnight deliver y does, and apps and Silicon Valley investments. Get ready for the continued exploosion of meal-kit-deliver y ser vices v ying for your dining dollar. While the big meal-kit companies expannd nationally, local ser vices tap new niches, like paleo meals or Southern cuisine. Competition will get fierce with delivered groceries and readyto-eat meals also in the fray, yet all that packaging remains a pitfall.

• National: Blue Apron; HelloFresh; Plated • Lifestyle /Diet: Farm to Fit, Portland, OR; PlateJoy, San Francisco • Mission-Driven: Cooking Simplified, Berkeley, CA • Delivered Meals: Maple, Manhattan; SpoonRocket, San Francisco

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) is a nationally recognized brand-building firm that creates an a d activates brands. SRG specializes in consumer insights, business strategy, innovation, advertising and design, and promotes the grow th of living-well brands that make people’s lives healthier and happier. SRG has been named by Outside Magazine as one of the Best Places to Work for the last four years and has been creating positive impact for 30 years. Visit srg.com for more information.

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10 Food & Restaurant Trends www.forbes.com

Nov. 23, 2015 Article by Andrew Bender

Fried chicken and all-day breakfast are just two of the top emerging food and restaurant trends on the annual Seat 1A Food Trend List.

This year’s trend list began with 22 concepts based on ideas and observations from restaurants all over the U.S., and was culled down to ten with the help of an esteemed panel of culinary experts: • Christine Couvelier, culinary executive, executive chef and culinary trendologist. She has worked in numerous corporate and culinary executive positions and runs her B.C.-based consulting company, Culinary Concierge.

• Jason Kessler, founder of FlyandDine.com and a contributor to American Way, Sunset, Los Angeles Magazine and more.

• Robin Selden, managing partner and executive chef of Connecticut-based Marcia Selden Catering, 2015 Chef of the Year nominee and board member of the International Caterers Association. The company produces over 2,000 events annually.

• Mike Thelin, food industry expert and festival creator, co-founder and co-owner of Feast Portland, one of the country’s most highly-regarded food festivals.

• Bret Thorn, senior food and beverage editor at the trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News.

1. All-Day Breakfast It was big news when McDonald’s announced this year that many of its restaurants would serve breakfast all day. “The traditional meal periods have been gradually disintegrating over the past decade,” says Bret Thorn of Nation’s Restaurant News, “as fewer people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and more people graze as their whims and schedules permit.” He calls meals at alternative times of day “simultaneously subversive and comforting.”

But it’s not just fast food: all-day breakfast is advantageous for fancier restaurants too. “Food costs (eggs, flour, milk) are very low and satisfaction level is high,” Thorn says, though he notes that restaurants doing all-day breakfast will benefit from a liquor license. “People like mimosas and bloody Marys with breakfast.”

Mike Thelin of Feast Portland, for one, is happy with this change.

“I will eat bacon and eggs for any meal of the day. Glad to know I’m not alone. Breakfast for dinner is always special, so I’m surprised this trend took so long to land.”

That said, says Thorn, “We’re not sure yet how McDonald’s all-day breakfast will pan out. Several other fast food chains, including Sonic Drive-In and Jack in the Box have been offering all-day breakfast for years.”

2. Rice Bowls “Rice bowls have been a staple in Asia for decades, and they fit into the way Americans eat perfectly,” says FlyandDine.com’s Jason Kessler.

“Lots of flavors mixed together in a convenient format.”

“I don’t know why, but people seem to think food is better for you if you put it in a bowl,” says Bret Thorn. “I guess it does limit how much food you can eat in one sitting. There’s also something comforting about a meal in a bowl, and possibly an antidote for all those shared plates.”

3. Fried Chicken / Fried Chicken Sandwiches The lowly fried chicken has become the new object of everyone’s affection. “Fried chicken is the new pork belly!” proclaims Christine Couvelier of Culinary Concierge.

“Americans love fried chicken,” says Bret Thorn of Nation’s Restaurant News, “and especially boneless fried chicken in the form of fried breast in a sandwich or faux wings.” Apart from the taste factor, “Beef prices are at or near record highs,” which for the restaurant industry “makes chicken a more desirable thing to sell.”

“Who needs a McChicken when you can get a perfectly fried breast on a real bun that’s not made with all kinds of chemicals?” asks Jason Kessler of Fly & Dine.

Among quick service restaurants, Panera and Del Taco have recently added bowls, and Chipotle has been rolling out its ShopHouse subsidiary, which puts Southeast Asian ingredients and preparations on top of rice (or noodles or salad greens).

Breakfast All Day is Here to Stay!

Low food cost and high customer satisfaction make catering to customer whims fun and profitable.

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4. Poke This Hawaiian specialty may be the next in a long history of trend-making with raw fish (think sushi, ceviche and fish tartare).

Poke (also spelled “poki”) features diced raw fish and/or seafood, often seasoned with soy sauce and/or sesame oil and tossed with anything from sea salt to minced green onion, seaweed, sesame seeds and diced jalapeño.

6. Shakshuka It’s early but growing stages for this deceptively simple but still impressive looking and deeply satisfying dish of North African origin: eggs poached over a compote of stewed bell pepper and tomato, with cumin, parsley and other herbs and spices. From its home countries of Libya and Tunisia, it’s made its way stateside largely by way of Israel, where it’s popular for breakfast and lunch.

“Our clients travel all over the world and always look to us to give them new and exciting foods that are clean and healthy, too,” says Robin Selden of Marcia Selden catering, which offers a make-your-own poke bar.

“Fabulous flavors!!!” raves Christine Couvelier.

In restaurants, poke seems to be more an emerging trend than an established one. Bret Thorn notes that it’s really strongest in Los Angeles, where “lots of national trends start.”

Sweetfin and Wiki Poki in L.A. have a local following. But, he says, “I think we still need to see a catalyst that will get poke exposed to the rest of the county.”

5. Chef-Driven Food Delivery Service “We’re a lazy nation,” says Jason Kessler. “We want a chef to cook for us without [our] having to put on pants.”

But there’s a huge difference between the traditional ordering-in (pizza, Chinese, Thai, etc.) and the current trend: High end restaurants and chefs are increasingly getting into the act. Christine Couvelier calls them “Chefpreneurs, chefs defining themselves as retail products and brands. Watch for many, many more.”

“In the past, most of the food delivery services were more about delivery infrastructure than food quality,” says Mike Thelin.

“Speedy and streamlined delivery technology is giving chefs new markets for their food,” says Bret Thorn, especially for Millennials and professionals.

Think of Munchery (the San Francisco-based, app-based food delivery startup), Uber Food (which delivers meals from well known restaurants

by Uber cars) or Maple (the new delivery service spearheaded by New York-based celebrity chef David Chang, of Momofuku, etc.).

“It’s a somewhat exotic menu item, but it’s eggs, so it’s also approachable,” says Bret Thorn. “Although an increasing number of consumers seek culinary adventure, very few want to be scared by their food.

Eggs are not scary.”

Couvelier also likes its flexibility. Although these days it can be found mostly at restaurants, shakshuka “also is possible for consumers to create at home.”

7. Tweaked Ice Cream Sandwiches “All over the frickin’ place,” exclaims Bret Thorn, crediting the L.A. food truck turned brick-and-mortar shop (and now retail supplier) Coolhaus with starting the trend of unconventional ice cream between unconventional ingredients.

“Cookies are great and all, but churros [pictured below] and donuts are even better,” says Jason Kessler.

Christine Couvelier advises “Look for ice cream between waffles, snickerdoodles, brownies, Whoopie Pies, grilled cheese (yes, really), Rice Krispies squares made into cookies and more. Watch for more savory artisan ice cream as well: sweet potato ice cream, popcorn ice cream…”

“Our most popular sandwich is the coconut macaroon with chocolate almond ice cream,” says Robin Selden. “We also do a very popular salted caramel French macaron with caramel popcorn and bacon ice cream.”

(Forbes Top 10 List continues on following page)

Case in point: Robin Selden herself. “While I cook the most incredible foods for my clients, I never have time to worry about myself.

Most times I’m eating a bowl of Cheerios when I get home from work at 1 a.m.” She has been getting meals delivered from her “friend and fellow chef,” Rocco DiSpirito, from his Pound a Day Diet meal plan.

TRENDING: Rice Bowls (as well as other meals-in-a-bowl), a North African dish called Shakshuka, made with poached eggs, stewed bell pepper and tomato, and unconventional ice cream sandwiches are just a few of the emerging trends to watch for on U.S. menus in 2016.

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Forbes Restaurant Trends (continued from previous page) 8. Quick Service Outlets by Famous Chefs More and more fine-dining chefs are getting into the multiple location, quick-service restaurant business. Mike Thelin calls this “the future of food.”

Although this trend seems to have broken out in the last year or two, it’s not exactly new. Bret Thorn puts its origin back in 2003, “when Tom Colicchio [of Craft] opened ’wichcraft, a sandwich chain using the same ingredients he was sourcing for his fine dining restaurant.”

Others cite Wolfgang Puck Express (which debuted in 1991), Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack (2004) and Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burger Palace (2008).

Whenever it started, the expansion activity’s gone into hyperdrive since 2014. Among the other celebrity chefs: Richard Blais (FLIP Burger Boutique), Sean Brock (Minero in Charleston, S.C.), Rick Bayless (Tortas Frontera, Xoco) and Brooks Headley (the all-vegetarian Superiority Burger). On deck: Cape Seafood & Provisions, from Michael Cimarusti of L.A.’s consistently top-rated Providence restaurant.

What’s behind this trend? “The farm-to-table chef movement introduced diners to an entirely new vocabulary, cast of ingredients, creativity and ideals toward quality and sourcing,” says Mike Thelin.

“That changed everything we thought we knew about food.

Diners now want great chef-driven food three meals a day, seven days a week, and even at fast food restaurants.”

10. On the Horizon - Indian Flavors “The flavors of India are so rich and varied that chefs should be salivating to incorporate them into their arsenal,” says Jason Kessler.

“Akasha Richmond is doing wonderful things at Sambar in Culver City, Calif. with classic Indian ingredients used in fascinating ways.”

“I do think that more regional specific Indian cuisine is showing up as consumers are becoming more familiar with Indian spices and dishes,” says Christine Couvelier.

Bret Thorn cites fast-casual Indian places like Soho Tiffin Junction in New York, Kasa in San Francisco, and Chai Pani in Decatur, Ga. and Asheville, N.C. Sambar’s crosstown compatriot, Downtown L.A.’s Badmaash, has been tweaking Indian flavors with the likes of a spicy lamb burger and chicken tikka poutine since 2013.

However, Thorn cautions, “I’ve been in my job for 16 years and people have been swearing that whole time that Indian cuisine was about to be the next big thing. We’re still waiting for Indian cuisine, in any form, to do something like what Korean food has done in recent years.”

Tune in next year and find out.

Not to mention that it’s profitable. Bret Thorn notes that selling quality casual meals to the masses can make chefs “a lot more money than if they sell $250 tasting menus to a few people.”

9. The End of Tipping The restaurant industry’s biggest bombshell of the season, if not the year, came when New York’s Union Square Hospitality Group, run

by Danny Meyer, announced that it would end tipping and raise menu prices to compensate waitstaff for the foregone income.

Other chefs, including Tom Colicchio, are following suit.

“Danny Meyer didn’t start the trend,” says Mike Thelin, “but USHG’s scrapping of tipping is a huge moment in the evolution and a validation and sign of the times.”

Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft was a key milestone in chefs doing quick service.

“It’s about time we moved to a more European model,” says Kessler, “where servers make a living wage and don’t just treat serving jobs like a way to make cash in between acting gigs.”

It’s not just consumers and restaurant geeks who are demanding a change to tipping policy. “With labor costs going up, particularly in the form of minimum wage, restaurants are facing financial challenges that threaten to upset restaurants’ economic models,” says Bret Thorn.

“I believe that tipping will one day be the exception, not the rule,” says Mike Thelin.

Christine Couvelier calls Meyer’s move “a very important statement about the value that should be placed on the craft of hospitality.”

Naysayers fear that without the motivation of a tip, restaurant staff will feel less obligated to provide good service. And Couvelier warns that as prices rise to adjust to the no-tipping policy, “The ‘value’ has to be there,” from the greeting, to the service to the taste.

Chicken tikka poutine (left) and spicy lamb burger (right) crown this mashup photo from Badmaash in Downtown Los Angeles.

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IFT Predicts 2016 Trends

ingredientsnetwork.com Jan. 4, 2016

The editors at Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists, have announced their predictions on hot food trends for 2016 – from clean labels in fine dining to increasing focus on food safety.

Clean Labels Spread to Fine Dining 2015 was marked by many major food companies, in addition to fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, announcing the “healthification” of their menus through the banning of artificial ingredients and/or additives. In 2016, we can expect to see this effect “trickle up” to fine dining/sit-down restaurants where consumers are going to demand more than “locally produced” or “made in house” to signify a holistic approach to health.

—Kelly Hensel, Senior Digital Editor

The Intersection of Health and Convenience Foods and beverages that deliver on both health and convenience will proliferate and gain wider distribution as consumers look for easy ways to incorporate more good-for-you products into their lives. Think portion-controlled snacks and ready-to-eat salad kits complete with slightly exotic ingredients like hemp seeds and edamame. We’ll see more of these kinds of products on retail shelves as entrepreneurs continue to get creative and major food companies acquire or partner with innovative niche marketers.

—Mary Ellen Kuhn, Executive Editor

Cleaner Labels More than ever, consumers are pushing food manufacturers to use ingredients to produce products with so-called clean labels.

Ingredient manufacturers have stepped up and now offer ingredients that are naturally derived, minimally processed, organic, and not genetically modified—all of which food manufacturers use to formulate clean label products.

—Karen Nachay, Senior Editor

Less Is More Food manufacturers will have to continue to make food products that are less processed as consumers demand more transparency and foods that are closer to their natural state.

—Toni Tarver, Senior Writer/Editor

Morally Conscious Foods Increasing emphasis on conscious living will lead to a new category of foods—morally conscious foods. From farm to fork, these foods, their production methods, and the companies manufacturing them will align closely with consumers’ moral values.

—Tara McHugh, Contributing Editor, Processing

Smartphone Staple Just like a knife and fork, your smartphone will become an indispensable utensil for eating and dining in 2016. It can order and purchase food, find grocery and restaurant deals, count calories, provide nutrition knowhow, suggest recipes, replace mom for cooking advice, share memorable culinary experiences, connect farmers with retailers and restaurants, and reduce food waste through redirecting surpluses to those in need.

—Bob Swientek, Editor in Chief

The Packaging Connection Foodies have long been interested in the backstory behind the foods they choose, but recent technologies have made it more possible than ever to bring this kind of information to the everyday consumer. In 2016, this trend will continue to grow, with packaging innovations allowing consumers to interact with products both on the shelf and when they get them home. Packaging technologies will also make it easier than ever for consumers to reorder their favorite items at the touch of a button.

—Melanie Zanoza Bartelme, Associate Editor

Gourmet Convenience With 48 million time-strapped Americans describing themselves as foodies, gourmet convenience will be among the new megatrends.

—A. Elizabeth Sloan, Contributing Editor, Consumer Trends

Generational Nutrition Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials will continue to play a role in popular nutritional trends as well as product labeling.

Baby Boomers want to lead lives full of energy and mental focus.

Generation Xers are concerned not only with their own health, but with the health of their children. Immune health will continue to be a trend as this generation understands the link between immunity and overall wellness.

Millennials tend to be more focused on labels and natural foods, so being transparent—not only in terms of healthful ingredients but also in terms of how the foods and beverages are made—will be important. Information is key to all generations, so communicating science-based information in an understandable way will be critical in upholding the credibility of products focused on health and wellness.

—Linda Ohr, Contributing Editor, Nutraceuticals

Focus on Food Safety Researchers, food manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and suppliers will continue to focus attention on pathogens, developing new and improved methods of analysis, instruments, detection supplies, and specific applications. Efforts will continue on improving traceability of ingredients and products and harmonizing standards internationally.

Food companies will be very involved in meeting the requirements of the Food and Drug Administration's final regulations implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act. ––Neil H. Mermelstein, Editor Emeritus

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Food and drink trends of the future www.foodbev.com Sept. 8, 2015 The Innovation Group, the innovation and futurism unit of J. Walter Thompson Intelligence, has predicted some of the key trends for the food and beverage industry of the future. In its latest trends report, which also includes statistical data from Sonar, it made findings such as that more than half of US and UK Millennials use technology like apps and wearables to maintain a healthy diet.

Innovation Group worldwide director Lucie Greene said: “Today’s food and drink consumers are more sophisticated than ever before.

Our research shows that both US and UK consumers are placing increasing importance on food and drink as an experiential luxury and reflection of their personal identity. We also found that Millennials, despite their well-documented economic challenges, are demanding higher-quality food, visual stimulation, and technologically enhanced experiences.”

Food and health coming together Health-conscious Millennials are gravitating toward healthier mixers and combining exercise with hedonism when it comes to alcohol.

Greene said: “We’re seeing a big convergence between categories and treatments in food and drink – it’s fueling not only creativity but also inspiring a raft of new hybrid categories.

In our Culinary Cocktails trend, we look at how increasingly the mixologist world is borrowing from Michelin starred chefs to innovate – using fat washes and sous vide treatments.

Beauty and food categories are also borrowing from each other.

Hemsley + Hemsley are creating rich desserts made from coconut oil and avocado, extolling the virtues not just for health, but skin and nails. New food products are appearing with skincare and well-being language or properties. You’re also seeing new players enter the food space. Farfetch, a fashion retailer, launching Farfetch Curates Food is a testament to how food and fashion are increasingly intertwined in the minds and passions of consumers.”

Sharing our food with others Awash with food imagery on social media platforms such as Instagram, consumers are gravitating towards increasingly surprising and compelling food imagery that aims more for the mind than the stomach, the Innovation Group claimed. 72% of British and American Millennials are likely to share pictures of their food and drink if it is different or unique, compared with just 22% of Baby Boomers.

“After years of over-laboured ‘artisan’ and visceral rustic ‘food porn’ imagery, we’re seeing a new modern, playful, quite irreverent approach to food and drink emerging.

New environments are moving beyond ‘authentic craft’ visual cues to embrace new clean, futuristic, colourful stylings.

Creative food photographers are presenting food in unexpected, graphic and surreal ways,” said Lucie Greene.

Cannabis in beverages A wave of marijuana legalisation in the U.S. has freed beverage startups to experiment with tetrahydrocannabinol infusions, as well as non-intoxicating hemp concoctions.

Nearly three quarters of consumers surveyed across Millennial, Generation X and Boomer generations agree that marijuana will be as socially acceptable as alcohol over the next decade.

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Technology changing the way we eat Ordering takeaways on a smartphone is old news, the Innovation Group said. The future promises curated delivery, delivery-only restaurants and even zero-cost delivery by self-driving car. But ordering food on your smartphone has its place in the evolution of ordering technology – the company cited research showing that more than 60% of UK Millennials agreed that online food delivery services made meal preparation much easier for them, compared with only 21% of Boomers, as evidence of this.

Last month, we reported on a survey that claimed the way in which we ordered food was directly influencing the cuisines we opted to eat. The researchers said that “more traditional takeaways such as fish and chips and Chinese are missing out – as a lack of delivery services and online ordering deter the next generation of takeaway consumers.”

And Lucie Greene added: “Like most aspects of our lives now, food and drink is being affected by new strides in technology – from clever kitchens that can create menus for us intuitively based on leftover ingredients on our kitchen table; to image-sensitive apps that can assess the nutritional value of a piece of food from a photo; to a proliferation of food delivery apps that bring gourmet, curated, vegan and personalized menus to our doors within 30 minutes.

Social media and digital sharing platforms meanwhile are providing a rich plethora of instant, detailed information about sourcing and ingredients, meaning that all our food choices will become much more informed and, not only that, regulated by the crowd.

Brands will have to embrace a new era of ultra-transparency or risk being caught out.”

The rise of “post-artisan” The cloying cocktails of the 1970s and ’80s – long considered passé – are now making a comeback, as mixologists reinvent them for sophisticated, modern palates.

“Cocktail classics of yesteryear, long relegated to the dustbin of cheesy nightclubs, are being reinvented with a gourmet twist, unapologetically celebrating the synthetic hues of retro ingredients such as crème de menthe and blue curaçao.

Meanwhile, even the wine category is being treated with a wink: see hit Instagrammer The Fat Jew… and his hit sensation White Girl Rosé, which launched this year.”

Mintel identifies emerging trends www.foodbusinessnews.net

Oct. 21, 2015 Article by Keith Nunez

Mintel International’s Global Food and Drinks Trends 2016 report identifies new ways North American consumers may be approaching diet, sustainability and their perception of innovation. Five emerging trends highlighted by the market research company include Diet by D.N.A., Eco is the New Reality, From the Inside Out, Fat Sheds Stigma, and Eat With Your Eyes.

Three of the trends, Diet by D.N.A., From the Inside Out, and Fat Sheds Stigma, all relate to how consumer perception of health and wellness may be changing.

“Interest in natural and ‘getting back to basics’ has boosted ancient grains and superfoods, fostering a principle that age-old staples are better than today’s manufactured options,” said Jenny Zegler, global food and drink analyst for Mintel, of the Diet by D.N.A. trend.

“Interest in historical ingredients suggests that consumers may try to unlock the keys to their personal physiology and design diets by connecting with their own ancestry or genetic make-up.”

Along the same lines, consumers are recognizing that diets may connect with the way they look and feel, according to Mintel.

The From the Inside Out trend places new emphasis on packaged foods and beverages that are formulated to help people’s physical appearance as well as their personal wellness, and creating a market for products featuring such ingredients as probiotics and collagen.

“Consumers’ negative stereotype that any and all fat content is evil has begun to diminish,” Ms. Zegler said. “The awareness of the many sources of good and bad fats is ushering in a paradigm shift in which fat content is not the first and foremost consideration — and barrier — in the search for healthy products.”

Ms. Zegler added that consumer perceptions related to sustainability also are shifting as more people learn about the issues associated with the drought in California and food waste.

“Drought, worries about food waste and other natural phenomena not only affect the worldwide food and drink supply, but influence preparation and production,” she said. “In 2016, sustainability evolves from being good for the bottom line to being a necessary part of new product development for the common good.”

Finally, Ms. Zegler pointed out that while taste is still the primary driver of food and beverage demand, social media applications also may be exerting greater influence on consumer choice.

“Flavor has long been the core of innovation, but more visual and share-focused societies call for innovation that is boldly colored and artfully constructed,” she said. “Finding inspiration in global food service offerings, brands can experiment with vibrant colors and novel shapes to make packaged products worthy of consumer praise and social media posts.”

The Mintel report also makes it clear consumers are paying attention to news about the benefits of some types of fat.

Novel protein sources, fat and more natural, less-processed foods will appeal to more consumers in 2016.

Download Mintel’s 78-page 2016 Consumer Trends Report for free at www.mintel.com

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Highlights of our 2016 Top Ten are below. Visit getflavor.com for the stories behind each trend, and the insight and information you’ll use to make menu decisions for the coming year. getflavor.com Jan. 8, 2016