News

Top food trends now: The 'women' have spoken

June 20, 2018

The women have spoken, and they have some interesting ideas about where food is going in the years ahead. Les Dames d'Escoffier International — 2,300 women leaders in the food, fine beverage and hospitality professions — have created a report on what's hot this year internationally for dining out and catering, a news release said. 

It's based on a survey answered by these food-informed women and includes their best ideas about what will shape "the culinary cultural landscape of tomorrow." And they begin with the three regional influences that the members think will most influence food in the U.S. in this coming year. They are:

• The Mediterranean countries.
• The Middle East
• Latin America

The women also defined what they feel will be the top five international food concepts and flavors most likely to become prominent food trends this year, including: 

• Puebla Hot Pot (Latin America, Mexico): An ancho chile, smoked paprika and spices in chicken stock, served with chicken or pork, corn, avocado crema and fresh garnishes.
• Manouri(Mediterranean, Greece): A semi-soft, fresh white whey cheese made from goat or sheep milk.
• Millet (India): Ancient grains harvested from small-seeded grasses used for porridge and other dishes.
• Mishkaki (East Africa, Tanzania): Marinated meat skewers, including a blend of lemon, tomatoes and green papaya, curry, garlic, red pepper and ginger.
• Jianbing (North Asia, China): A street-food breakfast crepe brushed with umami-rich hoisin and chili sauce; layered with egg, pickled veggies and herbs, and sometimes customized with sausage or bacon.

Under restaurant trends for this year, the group agreed that chef-driven fast casual concepts are where the action will be concentrated, with the  following three concepts leading the charge for growth in this industry:

• Chef-driven fast-casual
• Farm-to-table
• Family-friendly

The trends in restaurants coming our way, or emerging and showing great promise include: 

• Dog-friendly concepts
• Brands incorporating upcycling
• Hyper-local menu brands

Finally, in retail food business, it's all about the fresh, with solid trends blazing a trail for so-called "grocerant" in-store drinking and dining, lots of prepared foods and produce to grab and go. 

Les Dames d'Escoffier International is a worldwide philanthropic organization of professional women culinary leaders whose membership is by invitation-only. There are 40 chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.