Off the Menu Side Dish: Food Trends for 2018

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

1. New cuts of meat
2. House-made condiments
3. Street food-inspired dishes
4. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
5. Sustainable seafood
6. Healthful kids’ meals
7. Vegetable carb substitutes
8. Uncommon herbs
9. Authentic ethnic cuisine
10. Ethnic spices
11. Peruvian cuisine
12. House-made/ artisan pickles
13. Heritage-breed meats
14. Thai-rolled ice cream
15. African flavors
16. Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes
17. Doughnuts with non-traditional filling
18. Gourmet items in kids’ meals
19. Ethnic condiments
20. Ancient grains

Top 10 Concept Trends

1. Hyper-local
2. Chef-driven fast casual concepts
3. Natural ingredients/clean menus
4. Food waste reduction
5. Veggie-centric/ vegetable-forward cuisine
6. Environmental sustainability
7. Locally sourced meat and seafood
8. Locally sourced produce
9. Simplicity/back to basics
10. Farm/estate-branded items

Top Trends by Category

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

1. Culinary cocktails
2. Locally produced spirits/wine/beer
3. Craft/artisan spirits
4. Onsite barrel-aged drinks
5. Regional signature cocktails

CULINARY CONCEPTS

1. Hyper-local
2. Natural ingredients/ clean menus
3. Veggie-centric/ vegetable-forward cuisine
4. Environmental sustainability
5. Locally sourced meat and seafood

BREAKFAST/ BRUNCH

1. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
2. Avocado toast
3. Traditional ethnic breakfast items
4. Overnight oats
5. Breakfast hash

DISHES

1. Street food-inspired
2. Vegetable carb substitutes
3. House-made charcuterie
4. Seafood charcuterie
5. Amuse-bouche/ bite-size appetizers

GLOBAL FLAVORS

1. Authentic ethnic cuisine
2. Peruvian cuisine
3. African flavors
4. Filipino cuisine
5. Ethnic fusion cui¬sine

RESTAURANT CONCEPTS

1. Chef-driven fast-casual concepts
2. Food waste reduction
3. Meal kits
4. Small-plate menus/ restaurant concepts
5. Commissaries

SWEETS

1. Thai-rolled ice cream
2. Doughnuts with non-traditional filling
3. Artisan/house-made ice cream
4. Savory desserts
5. 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

* Veggie-centric/vegetable-forward cuisine