Reader TTS

I’m always curious about food trends, so I was intrigued by a recent announcement from the National Restaurant Association, who surveyed nearly 700 professional chefs on which food, cuisine,

beverages and culinary themes will be hot trends this year. Their response: TOP 20 FOOD TRENDS * New cuts of meat * House-made condiments * Street food-inspired dishes * Ethnic-inspired

breakfast items * Sustainable seafood * Healthful kids’ meals * Vegetable carb substitutes * Uncommon herbs * Authentic ethnic cuisine * Ethnic spices * Peruvian cuisine * House-made/

artisan pickles * Heritage-breed meats * Thai-rolled ice cream * African flavors * Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes * Doughnuts with non-traditional filling * Gourmet items in kids’ meals *

Ethnic condiments * Ancient grains TOP 10 CONCEPT TRENDS * Hyper-local * Chef-driven fast casual concepts * Natural ingredients/clean menus * Food waste reduction * Veggie-centric/

vegetable-forward cuisine * Environmental sustainability * Locally sourced meat and seafood * Locally sourced produce * Simplicity/back to basics * Farm/estate-branded items TOP TRENDS BY

CATEGORY ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES * Culinary cocktails * Locally produced spirits/wine/beer * Craft/artisan spirits * Onsite barrel-aged drinks * Regional signature cocktails CULINARY CONCEPTS *

Hyper-local * Natural ingredients/ clean menus * Veggie-centric/ vegetable-forward cuisine * Environmental sustainability * Locally sourced meat and seafood BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH *

Ethnic-inspired breakfast items * Avocado toast * Traditional ethnic breakfast items * Overnight oats * Breakfast hash DISHES * Street food-inspired * Vegetable carb substitutes * House-made

charcuterie * Seafood charcuterie * Amuse-bouche/ bite-size appetizers GLOBAL FLAVORS * Authentic ethnic cuisine * Peruvian cuisine * African flavors * Filipino cuisine * Ethnic fusion

cui¬sine RESTAURANT CONCEPTS * Chef-driven fast-casual concepts * Food waste reduction * Meal kits * Small-plate menus/ restaurant concepts * Commissaries SWEETS * Thai-rolled ice cream *

Doughnuts with non-traditional filling * Artisan/house-made ice cream * Savory desserts * Smoked dessert ingredients TRENDS HEATING UP * Doughnuts with non-traditional filling *

Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes * Farm/estate-branded items * Heritage-breed meats * Peruvian cuisine * Thai-rolled ice cream * Uncommon herbs * Vegetable carb substitutes *

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