#1:  NORDIC IS TOPS

I am seeing more Nordic influences on menus and not just in the States, London is going gaga for Nordic as well.

Per the UK’s Evening Standard:

• 2018 is high on rye (bread), thanks to the imminent opening of chef Pip Lacey’s Hicce, a British-Scandi-Japanese restaurant where rye bread will be made in-house.
• Then there’s Ekte Nordic Kitchen opening in Bloomberg Arcade, serving super Scandi open sandwich smørrebrød topped with dill salmon and mustard-marinated herring.
• And Snaps + Rye with its mini smørrebrød canapés.

NORDIC is also tops on Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants Culinary Trend Forecast:

• Expect to see more Nordic food influences, featuring fresh and colorful ingredients like carrots, cabbage and beets, and the embrace of alternative berries including juniper and lingonberries. From beet-cured salmon with dill cream cheese, cucumber, shaved fennel and pickled mustard seeds to pan-seared arctic char, Nordic flavors and techniques will be in full swing in 2018.

See below for 3 more trends as well as info on what’s out.

 

#2:  FLAVORS OF THE YEAR:  FIG LEADS THE PACK??

 

 

Big shout out to Firmenich for putting figs on our radar when nobody, and I mean nobody, was highlighting them as an upcoming trend.

Firmenich’s case for figs:

• Fig flavored products grew 80% between 2012 and 2016
• Figs are seen as both “authentic” and “artisanal” with a “timeless” connection to the past – all of which make the fig very on trend.

Sadly, every time I go to Whole Foods to buy figs, they are nowhere to be found. Hey, Whole Foods read this Food & Wine article and get some figs in the store.

Additional hot trending flavors:

• Burnt caramel, blood orange and elderflower (Source: Synergy Flavors)
• Pepper and ginger for their aromatics and mix of warm and biting sensations (Source: Mane)
• Bananas with a twist: banana dulce de leche, coffee banana, caramelized banana, banana maple, cinnamon banana, berry banana (Source: Gold Coast Ingredients)

 

#3:  VEGAN AND PLANT-BASED MEALS (Source: Live Kindly)

 

 

Chefs have spoken. Plant-based food will be a top restaurant trend in 2018. Expect to see more menus featuring meat-free options.

• Top UK vegan chef James Kenney recently announced his belief that chefs have the same responsibility as doctors when it comes to keeping us healthy.
• Kenney observed, “A world that largely thrives on plants, that at least becomes plant-centric, is a better world, a happier world, a healthier place, and it is a world changed.  I firmly believe that chefs have the ability to do this. They are the ones buying, cooking, and serving the food, and creating choices for people.” 

Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants made a similar announcement in their fourth annual ‘Culinary and Cocktail Trends Forecast’ report.

•  The trend has been labeled ‘Meatless is Going Mainstream’ and their chefs from around the globe believe it will be in the top six food trends for 2018.

 

#4: CANNABIS CUISINE

Not a fan but it’s definitely happening and has a lot of support.

•  Modern and artisan THC- and CBD-enhanced cuisine goes beyond brownies in 2018 thanks to “potrepreneurs” at all levels. (Source: CCD Innovation)

 

WHAT’S OUT:

#5:  Fresh Juice Places – dropping like flies.

 

• Many closed in NYC last year and now LA seems to be encountering the same middle-of-the-night closures.
• Juice Served Here pulled the plug on every one of their physical storefronts. (Source: EaterLA)