ONE Brooklyn-based Baum+Whiteman, an international restaurant consultant company, says tea is catching on in a big way.
“Green tea, especially matcha (green tea powder) is becoming a trendy item,” said Michael Whiteman, president of Baum+Whiteman. “Mostly in this country, you’d find it in ice cream, but now Starbucks is selling green tea lattes and others are selling green tea smoothies.”
Whiteman expects to see chefs using tea in poaching liquid and other cooking techniques: “Pretty soon, you’ll find it mixed with other herbs as an interesting, but unidentifiable, seasoning,” he said.
Whiteman+Baum’s food trend report for 2014 notes that restaurants are likely to capitalise on the trend because they’re ‘discovering that people are more likely to buy food with tea than with coffee’.
Heck we had to stop green tea, no one drinking it @FoodBev: Coca-Cola publishes '5 Food Trends for the New Year' 2014 http://t.co/wZEpK5DGVj — Tom Hanson (@PacCatchCOO) January 3, 2014
Heck we had to stop green tea, no one drinking it @FoodBev: Coca-Cola publishes '5 Food Trends for the New Year' 2014 http://t.co/wZEpK5DGVj
— Tom Hanson (@PacCatchCOO) January 3, 2014
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TWO According to the Baum+Whiteman report, people are ‘demanding fresh fruit and vegetables in profuse combinations’. The rise in juicing is a byproduct of busy lifestyles, coupled with an increased focus on getting the recommended five to 13 servings of fruits and veggies per day.
“Millions of people (are) too busy to eat an apple or carrot, but are willing to pay someone to juice it for them,” said the report.
THREE According to Andrew Freeman & Co, the next bacon might just be pork belly, or any other number of adventurous proteins that look beyond the chicken coop: “Gone are the days when there was always a chicken dish on the menu for picky eaters,” said AF&C. “Restaurants are playing to more adventurous eaters, and diners’ palates have risen to the challenge.”
By way of example, AF&C names Atlanta-based Empire State South, a restaurant owned by Top Chef judge Hugh Acheson. “At Empire State South, you’ll find catfish, pork belly and even goat on the menu, but not a chicken dish in sight,” said the report.
But this isn’t exactly accurate. A recent menu featured locally sourced hot wings for lunch and chicken legs for dinner. Yet, in tune with the AF&C reports, that leg comes served with sweetbreads (a nicer name for the prepared thymus gland of a calf). For beef, the menu trades in the typical steaks for something called the spinalis, a lesser-known cut also known as the cap steak.
FOUR Last year saw the meteoric rise of the Cronut, a pastry created by New York pastry chef Dominique Ansel. The cross between a doughnut and a croissant became so oddly popular that people lined up for hours to eat them.
No one can predict when the next Cronut will surface, but one thing’s for sure, the experts all say cupcakes are ‘so over’ (and Cronuts might not be far behind). So what’s going to be big on the sweets front?
Nation’s Restaurant News says ‘haute homey’ desserts; sweets that riff off nostalgic favourites, will dominate dessert plates this year. Andrew Freeman says fancy ice cream sandwiches should take the cake. And US Foods, a restaurant supply company, says to look for ethnic sweets such as dulce de leche to replace the cupcake obsession.
FIVE Experts say that hot and spicy foods will continue to be hot in the new year. McCormick & Company, in its 125th year of making spices, had chilies and Mexican fare topping its 2014 Flavor Forecast.
“Food lovers everywhere are seeking out their next big chili thrill,” said the report, which predicts you’ll find Aji Amarillo, a hot and fruity Peruvian yellow chile, in many dishes this year.
But spicy predictions aren’t solely the territory of the spice companies. Korean Gochujang is one spicy condiment to watch, according to many of the experts. The fermented chili sauce is spicy and slightly sweet, and lends a kick to soups and stir fries.
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