Latest Food Trends

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

For the past 10 years it's been all about molecular cooking, micro-greens and buying organic but lately I've seen interest in the new trends of source tracking, ethical retailing and sustainable seafood. Organic seems to have driven us deeper to considerations of integrity, buying local and animal welfare. There's always someone new heading the food pack, something on the food horizon, so if you know something, what do you know?

[nickrey]

The whole Noma thing seems to be sprouting a deep interest not only in locavore cooking but also in pairing local environmental items in different elements of the dish (eg. using acorn-fed pigs as a meat and pairing with acorn and other forest elements where they graze).

[Tri2Cook]

I don't know what's on the horizon for the rest of the world but if we switch to locavore where I live food is going to become very boring very fast by anybody's standards. Even organic is almost impossible outside of a small section at the only store in town. From now until spring you would go hungry unless you want to eat what you can catch ice fishing and nothing else (unless you were lucky enough to shoot a moose or some deer during hunting season and make it last the winter). There's absolutely nothing else local or even semi-local during that timeframe. Even in the summer there's not much more. Blueberries, fiddleheads, partridge... that's about it other than some spotty foraging. The summers are too short and unreliable for any attempts at farming beyond backyard gardens that may or may not produce depending on the weather that year. So I'm going to say food trends where I live aren't going to change much anytime soon regardless of the food world at large and how well-intentioned we may want to be.

[ChrisTaylor]

Booze pairings going beyond 'mere' wine pairings. In restaurants, I mean. I've seen an increasing amount of cocktails, sakes, etc creeping into wine flights.

[Mjx]

I'm assuming 'trends' actually means 'marketing trends', correct? Nothing mentioned so far is particularly new, and some have been traditional for decades, or even centuries. In terms of what most people actually do, trends seem to have little significant impact (e.g. although the increased visibility of MC made more people aware of it, few who have a real interest in it were attracted to it because it was trendy).

ETA: Now that this topic has been rolling about in my head a bit, I'd have to say there does seem to be a trend to think more about food, and its sources and preparation (not particularly new or specific, but it does represent a shift).

[threestars]

I'm assuming 'trends' actually means 'marketing trends', correct? Nothing mentioned so far is particularly new, and some have been traditional for decades, or even centuries. In terms of what most people actually do, trends seem to have little significant impact (e.g. although the increased visibility of MC made more people aware of it, few who have a real interest in it were attracted to it because it was trendy).

ETA: Now that this topic has been rolling about in my head a bit, I'd have to say there does seem to be a trend to think more about food, and its sources and preparation (not particularly new or specific, but it does represent a shift).

+1 Very well said. I absolutely agree.

[nickrey]

I'm sorry MJX do you really think things such as sustainability are old hat? There may be some Cod that would disagree with you.

And I think we are talking cooking trends as this is a culinary forum rather than a marketing one.

Tri2cook, I think your response highlights why some people turned warlike.

[Mjx]

I'm sorry MJX do you really think things such as sustainability are old hat? There may be some Cod that would disagree with you.

And I think we are talking cooking trends as this is a culinary forum rather than a marketing one.

Tri2cook, I think your response highlights why some people turned warlike.

Not old hat, but the question of sustainability has been raised repeatedly over the last century, so it can't be described as 'new'. If it were truly a trend, rather than a lot of marketing talk, we'd be seeing far more extensive results.

Point taken, this is a cooking forum, but all the so-called trends... sorry, they still strike me as marketing more than anything else, and honestly, not new, either.

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

Here's hoping our concerns and awareness about animal cruelty,eg trying to eliminate battery cage pigs and hens,feed lots, live animal exports and slaughtering without stunning are more than just marketing hype trends. Although a small number of people are aware for many years or decades, I feel foods are not really trends or trendy? until most cooks are aware of them even if they don't follow or agree.I don't do MC but I know what it is, have eaten it and read about it.So even if something seems old hat to you, it may not be as well known to others as you think it is. I think 'plating' is an example of something new and in its infancy that we take for granted.Still room in the market for plenty of books on that!

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I think the French might disagree with you on "plating" - artistic ways to present food have been around almost as long as food has....

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

I agree, plating was huge in royal and wealthy kitchen in the days of careme, escoffier at al, just have to see the pics in larousse to see how seriouse those guys were, but i guess I was thinking more of the few new books that are around on restaurant and modern plating ideas, where food is presented in a more modern way than the old days. Some of the ideas coming out are amazing and not too difficult for the home cook to replicate.

[zeffer81]

I agree about the cocktail pairing dinners. Beer, especially, has become huge lately. Foraging also seems to be creeping into favor.

[TheCulinaryLibrary]

Foraging fills me with horror zefer81. I live in rural Australia and see people collecting sheep's sorrel on the side of roads! Looks like normal sorrel but isn't. I wouldn't be game. Even when I collect wild mushrooms from the natural forests on my property they still make me nervous enough to check the books. Foragers are either brave or clued-up. I confess I am neither, having been spoilt by reliable food suppliers. Have to agree though about beers, there are so many boutique ones here it's hard to choose. Sparkling Pear cider ( at 4.5% alcohol ) is a really new thing here, and has just hit the shelves in the last couple of weeks. At a family spring barbie (BBQ) last Saturday it was a huge hit under the fragrant wisteria arbor, even with the two 80+ grans who don't normally drink alcohol. Slightly sweeter than dry apple cider and delicious.