2014 Trend Prediction #5: What Foodies Should Expect
In 2013, foodies experienced the gourmet donut craze, including the cronut, the plant-based proteins boom, kale, and kimchi on everything. As the year comes to a close, it’s time to predict what 2014’s food scene will look like. Here are my top five predictions of what we’ll be eating in the New Year (in no particular order):
1) Veg Out – Veggie dishes have started to shine on menus around the country recently and next year you can expect more options than ever. Veggies will be sneaking their way into your favorite traditional meals and even into some desserts. Chefs are starting to get really creative when it comes to meatless dishes and I personally think even meat lovers will appreciate this.
2) What Grandma Taught Us – Everything from pickling, making jams to baking home-made bread is on the rise. Call it the DIY era or just a movement back to the basics, but whatever it is people are making things at home just like our moms and grandmas used to do. At my house we’re pickling every vegetable possible and even making our own bitters.
3) Ice, Ice, Baby – The craft cocktail trend has been around for a while now with no signs of slowing down. This year, ice won’t be used for just chilling our drinks. Bars will start infusing their ice cubes with herbs and other ingredients to create new flavor profiles without diluting our specialty cocktails. This can already be seen at local joints like The Berkshire Room at ACME Hotel.
4) Haute Sauces – Housemade hot sauces and condiments are hot right now. Chefs are throwing away the old staples like Srirucha, Chulupa and Tabasco to create wither own concoctions and serving them on menus all across the country.
5) Chicken of the Sea – Chefs as well as eco- and budget-conscious diners are discovering unique varieties of sea food on all sorts of menus. These items such as sea beans and fish cheeks and heads would have previously been tossed, discarded or turned into a sauce or stew are now becoming stars on dishes.
Raise your glass, put on your bibs and here’s to some delicious dining in the New Year!
Annie Block Vice President