Our resident chef takes a look back at a tasty and intriguing 2017
It’s that time of year again when all of God’s food writers review, reflect, and reminisce about the past year’s memorable meals and conspicuous comestibles.
Personally, I’m not one to dwell on meals gone by, so I want to take a moment to peer into my José Andrés signature isomalt crystal ball, look into the future, and see what food trends we may be enjoying, tolerating or loathing in 2018.
This year we’ve seen everything from cronuts to eggocados, sushi burgers to unicorn lattes and we somehow managed to survive the Great McDonalds Szechuan Sauce Insurrection. Having moved beyond 2017s mixed bag of culinary “innovations” I’m offering up my top food trend predictions for 2018 that I believe will prioritize flavor over novelty and won’t sacrifice health at the altar of social media clicks.
Flower Power
You’ve probably noticed floral flavors creeping onto the menus of your favorite coffee shop or gastropub. Lavender lattes and elderflower cocktails, for example, are starting to become popular options for the pumpkin-spice weary but I predict bright pink hibiscus (roselle) teas and drinks, lots of lavender and elderflower, and rose-infused everything will be adding new flavors and aromas to salads, soups, and beverages.
‘Shrooms Man
Mushrooms are coming out of the dark, off the plate and into your coffee, smoothies, tea, chocolate bars, and even body care products. The idea of a mushroom drink seemed pretty disgusting to me at first, then I tried a chilled Thai drink made from lion’s mane mushrooms and confirmed that yes, mushroom drinks are disgusting. But food scientists have been working around the clock to make reishi, chaga, cordyceps and lion’s mane mushrooms palatable for coffee, tea, and desserts so expect to see much more fungus among us in 2018.
Stem to Stalk
Conscious carnivores have been preaching the nose-to-tail gospel for years, and now the vegetarian version is making its way into the public culinary consciousness. As we become more conscious of food waste, recipes and ideas for eating every part of our fruits and veggies are making a lot more sense. Expect your Instagram feed to become littered with pics of apple peel crisps, carrot green pesto, and a flood of other ideas for using the nutrient-dense and super flavorful parts of produce that we used to just throw in the trash.
Meat Substitutes
The fact that Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and McDonald’s have invested millions in meat substitutes is not the only reason we will be seeing more of them in the coming year. Food researchers have found a way to make them taste like actual food instead of cardboard and wood shavings. Plant-based burgers that “bleed” beetroot juice and veggie burgers that get their meatiness from mushrooms and nitrogen-fixing plants such as legumes are poised to help poor, deprived vegetarians get some joy in their lives.
Hyper-local
Locally sourced foods have been an increasingly common part of our shopping and dining experience over the last several years, but 2018 is going to see a rise in foods that have been grown within walking distance of the dinner table, going from local to hyper-local and beyond. Local providers will remain a popular resource, but I predict an increase in restaurants growing their own ingredients on-site, incorporating foraged ingredients and offering more seasonally driven menus for the year to come.
Poke Bowls
Take the subtle finesse and delicate flavors of sushi, combine it with the ham-handed convenience of a KFC sadness bowl and you get the poke bowl. Don’t get me wrong though, this pile of sushi in a bowl is absolutely delicious. Lay down a base layer of rice, top it with chunks of raw, marinated tuna or other fish, add vegetables, umami-packed sauces, then stuff your face. (Psst…it’s pronounced “POH-keh.”)
Honorable Mentions
All signs point to 2018 being the year that the world’s street food makes its mark on the American food landscape. Kabobs, dumplings, pupusas, samosas and momos are just a few of the dishes set to creep onto the mainstream palate this year.
Next year will certainly be veggie heavy, but chefs are getting excited about lesser-known, inexpensive, and super-flavorful cuts of beef like the shoulder tender, oyster steak, Vegas Strip steak, and Merlot cut.
Expect to see a lot more house-made condiments on restaurant tables as well. Home-made ketchups, vinegars, hot sauces and even artisan sauces like soy sauce and fish sauce are growing in popularity with everyone from squirt-bottle and tweezer establishments to fast casual meat and three restaurants.
Bon appétit and Happy New Year!
Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan currently living abroad who has trained chefs, owned and operated restaurants. Join him on Facebook at facebook.com/SushiAndBiscuits