I love reading about what the “experts” in food fields predict for the coming year. Like all predictions, some will survive and others are so out there they will never see any kitchen light at all. What these lists do is make us think hard about what’s going on around us. Pulling our head out of Instagram is healthy! I’ve included a few predictions for our area dining.
Thanks here to Eater.com for pulling 2020 trends together. While there are some predictions that seem to wipe out other predictions, we have interesting ideas popping up. There are too many for me to include, so you can read the complete list here: https://www.eater.com
- More zero-proof drinking and mocktails, which means less alcohol. And then there’s the prediction that alcoholic still water will be more popular, so that’s a puzzle.
- A rise in Middle Eastern cuisine is predicted (yummy news), but also a decline of acai, charcoal, seitan and hummus.
- More plant-based foods.
- New terms will pop up like: aronia berries, ube (a purple yam), alt-milk.
- New spreads: macadamia nut butter, watermelon seed butter.
- Mood-boosting and energy-enhancing ingredients.
- Pancakes are on the rise.
- Wood-fire cooking will be more common.
- Touch screens, self-serve kiosks increasing.
- Lab-grown meats – very futuristic.
- More arepas and latin American cuisine – YAY!
- Sliders on the rise – again, YAY!
- Instagram-unfriendly dishes – and more YAY!
- Reduced sugar foods on the rise.
- Boxed and canned wine – hmmm, not sure about this one.
- Mexican whiskeys on the increase.
- More automation.
- Coconut yogurt on the rise (I love the Liberte brand).
- Korean food, fast-casual Chinese chains.
- And finally, some weird things: cheese tea, beet greens, purple corn/broccoli/snap peas, pickle-flavored snacks, sea moss.
What I predict:
- Noisy is going away with new restaurant renovations. I’m noticing new venues are paying attention to repeated criticism of noise, which leads to unpleasant dining for everyone.
- Kale will disappear. OK, this is based solely on the fact that I won’t eat this unpleasant green. I confess it’s a wish more than a prediction.
- No more straws anywhere. Except for those who physically can’t sip from a glass, who needs them? If a drink is too dense to eat without a straw, then it’s technically solid food. If you don’t want to drink directly from the glass, then you should rethink your restaurant choice.
- Recipes with fewer than 10 ingredients. Simpler is always better, especially for those with time limitations. That’s why sheet-pan cooking, Instapot cooking, and one-dish cooking have enjoyed a resurgence. Give us easy in the kitchen.
