2015 FOOD TRENDS

Last November, I shared Entrepreneur magazine's "10 Biggest Restaurant Trends for 2015. This being the first week of the year, I surfed around and found tons of lists! 

 Here's what I think I will be taking a bite of:

SOUR    From drinks to desserts, anything sour will be popular according to CNN Money. The National Restaurant Association lists "pickling," which requires a lot of vinegar, as the number one preparation method food businesses will be engaging in. Personally, I have seen an increase of mustard variants from Jack Daniels- flavored mustard to stone-ground sweet mustard served with sausages.

Get Pickled

FAT     Time Magazine predicts that "more higher fat Asian foods to hit restaurant menus and grocery store shelves in 2015." I'm guessing the Hainanese Chicken Rice and Roasted duck (both with the skin on) will be top of mind. Another fatty product that will see a rise in sales is cultured butter. Some sites even teach you how to make our own.

Image courtesy of www.organicvalley.coop

SPAIN   Have you been seeing a lot of food shows featuring Spain? I am now obsessing on making the cocido, a Spanish stew of cured and fresh meats, after seeing a feature on Sandy Daza's FoodPrints. Forbes predicts that the "cuisine of Spain to overshadow those of France and Asia. While CNN Money predicts more people will try to travel to Spain  to taste the real deal.

Viva Espana!

CURED  Chefs will be pushing the limits on the Bacalao (dried and salted cod) according to Bon Appetit. While according to restaurant.org charcuterie and house-cured meats are going to be big this year  after vegetarian appetizers.

Newfoundland and Iceland folk have been making bacalao 500 years back

OYSTERS     The shelled aphrodisiac will be rediscovered this year in areas where bodies of water are being detoxified and cleaned. International food consultants Baum + Whiteman lists  a variety of interesting possibilities, including oysters cooked in chorizo butter.

 

STREET     Street-food inspired appetizers will find its way to fine dining establishments.

THROWBACK    Sorry vodka, but when it comes to cocktails, whiskey and rhum as base for three-ingredient drinks are making a comeback says food&wine.com. 

image courtesy of wallpapers2014.com

 I think I will be holding out until the last minute to get into these food trends:

BITTER     This taste is "the new bold," declares technomic.com. From coffee and chocolate to cauliflower and cocktails, bitter will be be used to give other flavors a lift.

INSECTS    One of the best sources of protein, the UK Daily Mail says, insects are touted as the latest superfood. I have tried many exotic food but crispy critters still don't put the "appetite" in appetizers.

HEMP     There's going to be a movement to promote hemp seeds as mainstream ingredients.  The good news, according to ourgom.com, it contains 36% protein, "with specific proteins such as Edestin and albumin that are responsible for increasing the strength of the body and also aids in digestion."  Bad news is, adding it to your food will have no intoxicating effect.

image courtesy of ourgom.com