next trendy food?

gingerbeer · March 6, 2009

reading the post about bacon below made me wonder... what is the next big trendy food? we've had bacon, macha, salted caramel, burgers, offal and cupcakes. and who could forget the pesto, smoked salmon and sushi awakenings of the olden days...

so - what's next?

grilled cheese? hot dogs? those pancake doughnut things from that infomercial? what will everybody be eating 4 months from now?

your predictions please.

Edited March 6, 2009 by gingerbeer (log)

Sabrosita · March 6, 2009

reading the post about bacon below made me wonder... what is the next big trendy food? we've had bacon, macha, salted caramel, burgers, offal and cupcakes. and who could forget the pesto, smoked salmon and sushi awakenings of the olden days...
so - what's next?
grilled cheese? hot dogs? those pancake doughnut things from that infomercial? what will everybody be eating 4 months from now?
your predictions please.
←

Hmmm, I recently wrote an article declaring beef tendon the next pork belly, alot of which is just hopefulness on my part, but I suppose that is under the 'offal' category.

melamed · March 7, 2009

reading the post about bacon below made me wonder... what is the next big trendy food? we've had bacon, macha, salted caramel, burgers, offal and cupcakes. and who could forget the pesto, smoked salmon and sushi awakenings of the olden days...
so - what's next?
grilled cheese? hot dogs? those pancake doughnut things from that infomercial? what will everybody be eating 4 months from now?
your predictions please.
←
Hmmm, I recently wrote an article declaring beef tendon the next pork belly, alot of which is just hopefulness on my part, but I suppose that is under the 'offal' category.
←

Ah! my favorite topic! First, every country has a different food trend, in Israel food trends change by the season and many times I am hooked to a certain flavor when it swings out of favor and its nowhere to be found. Recently it has been strawberry banana, forest berry (raspberries, strawberries, blue berries), passion fruit, and lemon mint for drinks. I used to love orange pistachio flavored yogurt but that has been out of style for several years.

Now there are all genres of restaurants, from Asian, Middle Eastern, European.. where once there were very few. So what I think, at least here, is that traditional home cooked foods will again become very trendy. Perhaps also in the States with all the enthusiasm for molecular gastromomie and strange fusion combinations, the pengulum will again swing to authentic, simple to make foods.

but then again....

John · March 7, 2009

Hot dogs. In fact, their popularity has been growing. Consumption is up 2% over last year. I think there are 2 main reasons. One being the economy. Hot Dogs are relatively inexpensive and recession proof according to many. Another reason is the growing trend toward higher quality artisinal sausages. This sort of mirrors the micro brewery or craft brewing movement. Beer (and frankfurters) are made with higher quality ingredients in small batches with no fillers or cheaper ingredients.

There are areas in the country where high quality frankfurters are the norm as opposed to other regions where cheap generic hot dogs are used and topped with a bunch of things that mask the flavor of the frank. Here the focus is on the condiments rather than the high quality meat itself.

New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Chicago, and Detroit are areas where high quality franks are common. Also other states that have old fashioned European style butcher shops.

In Jersey, there are small butcher shops making superior frankfurters. Places like Lutz's Pork Store, Union Pork Store, Kocher's Continental Prvisions, and Gaiser's make franks from whole cuts of beef and pork rather than trimmings. They do not employ a technique called vacuum chopping that sucks air out of the meat mixture. These hot dogs are tender, juicy, and loosely packed. Delicious with a great texture and as fresh as can be, these dogs taste great with just a smear of mustard.

Thumann's (New Jersey), Hartmann's (Rochester), Hofmann's (Syracuse), Sahlen's (Buffalo), Zweigle's (Rochester) are examples of slightly larger commercial meat producers that make quality German style frankfurters.

Best Provisions (Newark, N.J., Boars Head, and Usinger's (Milwaukee) are three examples of companies that make exceptional beef frankfurters in the Kosher or Jewish style.

These franks are all made with fine ingredients according to traditional Old World recipes and are as good or better than what you would find in Europe. The tired old description of hot dogs as lips and a$$e$ is an old wives tale for the most part. Companies are required by law to list ingredients. If you see the term "variety meats", then you are getting lips, snouts, and other undesirable parts of the animal. But this is the exception rather than the rule.

A quality wiener handmade from superior meat in small batches is a real treat. For those of you living in the North East where Wegman's supermarkets can be found have a great product in Hartmann's wieners. As good a frank as I've had. http://www.hartmannssausage.com.

aliaseater · March 7, 2009

I'd love for small batch, local charcuterie to become a hot trend but wonder how Health Dept. regulations might stem the flow....

OnigiriFB · March 7, 2009

I think eggs are going to be the next big thing. They are a cheap source of protein and so economical in this recession. I really think fried eggs on something is going to be the trend actually. Yesterday I saw Rachel Ray putting a fried egg on a bowl of gumbo on her show and then another show did something similar.

Taubear · March 7, 2009

Preserved Lemons

Pork Belly

Lamb Saddle

Persimons

Ohh and I forgot to mention Wagu beef

:raz:

Edited March 7, 2009 by Taubear (log)

gingerbeer · March 16, 2009

I can see hot dogs and eggs too... particularly given the economy.

I find it interesting how foods become trendy - what is it, exactly that leads to it? Is it a sudden change in the quality of production, or the right endorsements (making it therefore almost coincidental)?

melamed · March 16, 2009

I can see hot dogs and eggs too... particularly given the economy.
I find it interesting how foods become trendy - what is it, exactly that leads to it? Is it a sudden change in the quality of production, or the right endorsements (making it therefore almost coincidental)?
←

read the tipping point (by Malcolm Gladwell) which although very simplified and

repetitive gives some interesting points about how a trend begins. He writes

that there are different personality types such as Maven (gatherer of information),

marketer (can sell anything) and connecter (the ones who have thousands of

friends on facebook) and that each type helps to contribute to trend setting.

a trend is by definition novel (eggs have been out of style for years because

of cholesterol phobia) and usually very easy to do (eggs and hotdogs!) and accessible (ditto). So if a well known connecter such as Jackie Chan (not sure why he popped up) endorses eggs than there are those that might want to emulate him,

sort of like a status symbol

More complicated foods might become trendy but to a much smaller circle of people.

lamington · March 17, 2009

I've seen a veritable forest of brownie posts in the blogosphere and some food media so far this year. No idea why.

Edited March 17, 2009 by lamington (log)

P1800Girl · March 17, 2009

Hot dogs. In fact, their popularity has been growing. Consumption is up 2% over last year. I think there are 2 main reasons. One being the economy. Hot Dogs are relatively inexpensive and recession proof according to many. Another reason is the growing trend toward higher quality artisinal sausages. This sort of mirrors the micro brewery or craft brewing movement. Beer (and frankfurters) are made with higher quality ingredients in small batches with no fillers or cheaper ingredients.

Interesting thread. While I revel in eating good sausage, and hope to make my own soon, I am not a big consumer of hot dogs (and didn't have them growing up). I have a question about definitions. What defines a hot dog as compared to other sausages? The first thing that comes to mind is its homogenous texture versus a chunkier filling for sausage, but then again some European sausages I've had have been more homogenous and still not called franks or hot dogs. Is it because they are pre-cooked (I think), versus raw sausages?

As the trend towards artisinal sausages continues, will these distinctions become blurred?

-sabine

gingerbeer · March 17, 2009

I can see hot dogs and eggs too... particularly given the economy.
I find it interesting how foods become trendy - what is it, exactly that leads to it? Is it a sudden change in the quality of production, or the right endorsements (making it therefore almost coincidental)?
←
read the tipping point (by Malcolm Gladwell) which although very simplified and
repetitive gives some interesting points about how a trend begins. He writes
that there are different personality types such as Maven (gatherer of information),
marketer (can sell anything) and connecter (the ones who have thousands of
friends on facebook) and that each type helps to contribute to trend setting.
a trend is by definition novel (eggs have been out of style for years because
of cholesterol phobia) and usually very easy to do (eggs and hotdogs!) and accessible (ditto). So if a well known connecter such as Jackie Chan (not sure why he popped up) endorses eggs than there are those that might want to emulate him,
sort of like a status symbol
More complicated foods might become trendy but to a much smaller circle of people.
←

That sounds really interesting! And I'm even more convinced about eggs now. I'll have to read that.

Lamington, I don't know about brownies, but what about lamingtons?

I second the hot dog question - would this include bratwurst? Because I am totally ready for a bratwurst revival. Preferably right now. Like, right now.

nakji · March 18, 2009

I think eggs are going to be the next big thing. They are a cheap source of protein and so economical in this recession. I really think fried eggs on something is going to be the trend actually. Yesterday I saw Rachel Ray putting a fried egg on a bowl of gumbo on her show and then another show did something similar.

Oh, like on bibimbap. Or on a salad. That is an interesting trend.

chappie · March 18, 2009

Not just hot dogs ... CORNDOGS!

And not just corndogs, but rather quality, hand-dipped corndogs using the above-mentioned grade of franks -- or other types of sausage -- enrobed in a good batter and fried to order. Then served with your choice of interesting mustards and/or sauces.

Corndogs is where it's at.

Timh · March 18, 2009

Rabbit, and Goat. Cheap to raise, low cost to cook, not quite offensive to the squemish, and adventurous to those that dont get out enough.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Timh (log)

chappie · March 18, 2009

Ah yes. Just ate a ton of goat yesterday at my favorite Pakistani restaurant; love it. Rabbit, too, though I don't find many places serving it. Good choices.

gingerbeer · March 18, 2009

i love corn dogs. maybe they'd be a natural extension of hot dogs?

plus, goats are hardy. though do they damage the environment a lot?

NadyaDuke · March 18, 2009

I'm hoping that rumaki makes a comeback. We already have a bacon frenzy, can't we just add some chicken livers & water chestnuts? Of course that would imply that liver makes a come back - which I would also love.

Edited March 18, 2009 by NadyaCat (log)

P1800Girl · March 18, 2009

Maybe the next hot trend is Lard. At least WSJ thinks so: http://magazine.wsj.com/wsj-today-magazine/big-fat-deal/

-sabine

Special K · March 18, 2009

Spam.

MicBacchus · March 18, 2009

Beans? Cheap source of protein, adaptable throughout the seasons.

patti · March 22, 2009

Perhaps a maven, a marketer and a connector could make nutria the next big thing. We've got an overabundance of them here in Louisiana. Come and get 'em. Cheap!

chappie · March 22, 2009

People have tried marketing nutria with little success. But I've heard its meat is actually good, much better than the oily muskrats I've had here. I'd love to try a nutria.

melamed · March 22, 2009

Perhaps a maven, a marketer and a connector could make nutria the next big thing. We've got an overabundance of them here in Louisiana. Come and get 'em. Cheap!
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something tells me that nutria just ain't gonna fly :wink: