2009 Food Trends – A simply happy new year
As recession takes hold, look for comfort foods, less complicated cooking and a few sprightly innovations
So what are some foods, flavors and culinary trends we’ll see in 2009? Here are several, gleaned from a variety of trend reports:
• Breakfast: If you like eggs at any hour, you’re in luck. Look for more restaurants with all-day breakfast items. Fried or poached eggs on top of dishes (the classic French frisée salad, for example) also will be more popular.
• Asian noodles and soups: With raw-fish prices increasing, noodle bars are becoming the new sushi joints, sporting ramen, udon and soba noodle dishes. Noodles in broth, such as Vietnamese pho and Southeast Asian laksa, will grow in popularity.
• Certified fish: Concerns about overfishing have led restaurants and suppliers to buy from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, a London-based non- profit that promotes sustainable fishing practices. Avoiding vulnerable species, such as bluefin tuna, Chilean sea bass and swordfish, is part of the effort. Walmart has pledged to make a full switch to certified fisheries by 2011, according to JWT, a trend and branding expert.
• Gluten-free products: Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in rye, wheat and barley, affects only about 1 percent of the population. But gluten-free products are now considered chic, said Ann Mack, director of trend-spotting for JWT. “It’s perceived as healthy,” she said. “You’re seeing more celebrities talking about it in the magazines.” Stars are using gluten-free products as diet aids, she added.
• New flavors: Look for lavender, persimmon, star fruit, garam masala and chimichurri flavors to crop up in food products and on menus. “We’re still looking for new things,” said Mintel’s Dornblaser. She added that cactus, in both food and drink, will make its way from the Latin market to the mainstream.
• Peru: It’s the next great foodie destination, according to Bon Appétit magazine. Peruvian cuisine’s flavors and ingredients will influence restaurant menus. Move over, caipirinha and mojito: The Pisco Sour, made with the Peruvian national spirit, is the hot new cocktail.
• Ginger drinks: Ginger beers and cocktails also are hot new sippers, according to Epicurious. Spirits become more popular in recessionary times, Steel said. “One of the areas people are not cutting back on is liquor,” she said. “People are drinking more. They’re spending less on the actual bottles, but they’re drinking more. Bars are not being hit like restaurants.”
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