Now the National Restaurant Association weighs in on restaurant trends for 2010. Locally grown and sourced products, farm-branded ingredients, sustainable seafood, a back-to-basics approach, nutrition, allergy awareness and better-for-you children’s meals are among the top trends identified by 1,854 professional chefs, members of the American Culinary Federation. Some of the “hot” items revealed in the survey: ancient grains, grass-fed beef, mini desserts, black garlic, artisinal cheeses, house-made ice cream, micro-distilled liquor and gluten-free beer.
photo source: Flickr, patrick properties
Here’s a list of the top 50 trends and the percentage of chefs ranking them as “hot.” Check the link to Restaurants & Institutions for the full list of 150 trends.
1. Locally grown produce 88%
2. Locally sourced meats and seafood 84%
3. Sustainability 80%
4. Bite-size/mini desserts 79%
5. Locally-produced wine and beer 79%
6. Nutritionally balanced children’s dishes 77%
7. Half-portions/smaller portion for a smaller price 75%
8. Farm/estate-branded ingredients 75%
9. Gluten-free/allergy conscious 74%
10. Sustainable seafood 73%
11. Superfruits (such as acai, goji berry, mangosteen) 73%
12. Organic produce 73%
13. Culinary cocktails (savory, fresh ingredients) 73%
14. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor 72%
15. Nutrition/health 71%
16. Simplicity/back to basics 70%
17. Regional ethnic cuisine 70%
18. Non-traditional fish (such as branzino, Arctic char, barramundi) 70%
19. Newly fabricated cuts of meat (such as Denver steak, pork flat iron, petite tender) 70%
20. Fruit/vegetable children’s side items 69%
21. “Kid cuisine”/gourmet children’s dishes 69%
22. Artisan/house-made ice cream 67%
23. Ethnic breakfast (such as Asian-flavored syrups, coconut milk pancakes) 66%
24. Organic wine/beer/liquor 64%
25. Exotic fruit (such as durian, passion fruit, dragon fruit, paw paw, guava) 63%
26. Artisinal cheeses 63%
27. Black garlic 63%
28. Food-beer pairings 63%
29. Specialty iced tea (Thai-style, Southern/sweet, flavored) 62%
30. Craft beer/microbrews 62%
31. Ancient grains (such as kamut, spelt, amaranth) 62%
32. Tapas/mezze/dim sum (small plates) 62%
33. Dessert flights/combos 61%
34. Bar chefs/mixologists 61%
35. Grass-fed beef 61%
36. Flatbreads (naan, papadum, lavash, pita, tortilla) 60%
37. Free-range poultry/pork 60%
38. Gluten-free beer 60%
39. Ethnic fusion 60%
40. Micro-vegetables/mico-greens 59%
41. Organic coffee 59%
42. Specialty beer (seasonal, fruit, spiced) 58%
43. Children’s entree salads 58%
44. Inexpensive/underused cuts of meat (beef cheek, brisket, pork shoulder, skirt steak) 58%
45. Umami 58%
46. Savory desserts 57%
47. Flower syrup/essence 57%
48. Heirloom tomatoes 56%
49. Specialty/gourmet sandwiches 56%
50. Specialty potatoes (purple, fingerling, Baby Dutch yellow) 56%
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