With each passing year, the pundits of palates (aka food reviewers) release lists aplenty for the food trends to watch for in the coming months. Not surprisingly, the only difference about 2014’s set of clairvoyant call-outs is that there are more than ever. We’ve read our fair share thus far, and naturally had to do a li’l punditry of our own…
House & Home
In Canadian House & Home‘s January Trends Issue – of which we got to sneak a peek back in early December at their annual #HHTrends Breakfast – they’ve rounded up 10 food trends that’ll be sweeping the nation: American Fusion; Kit Cooking; Turning Up the Heat; Outdoor Ovens; Haute Eclairs; Alternative Pasta; Homemade Munchies; Hard Cider; Root-to-Stalk Cooking; and Year of the Goat. Obviously, there are only a few that excite us…
American Fusion has already started to infiltrate Toronto (Rose & Sons, Home of the Brave, Electric Mud BBQ) but we’re hoping it’ll reach a fever pitch around early-Summer. Kit Cooking is no stranger to us (hola Fresh Canteen!). Haute Eclairs we’ve talked about before, thanks to Ms. Stella Yu. Root-to-Stalk Cooking is apparently the new nose-to-tail (y’know… just for those immoral vegetarian folk), and it’s already finding prominence at restaurants like Grasslands. And while we have indeed started to see goat dairy products finding more and more shelf space at the market, we’re unsure if 2014 will truly be its year. That said, lamb is trending at restos all around, so who knows…
The Canadian Press
You’ve likely seen a couple articles penned by CP’s Lois Abraham appearing on sites like The Huffington Post and The Ottawa Citizen. (She’s kind of like the National Guard for food news in Canada.) Cauliflower is the new kale according to a few different sources, and we wouldn’t necessarily disagree. (Though it could be argued that kale is the new kale insofar as restaurants gravitating ever-more-so towards this leafy green.) Expect cauliflower to pop up on numerous menus throughout the year, thoughtfully used by the coming wave of no-rules-followed chefs.
Flavoured salts are usurping pretty peppers, which is understandable thanks to the rise in artisanal fine foods and the growth in accessibility to these prettily packaged players. Abraham also cites a few sources denoting two, sadly, unsatisfactory trends: noodles and burgers. Really?! Have we not done almost everything we can here? Have we not slaughtered enough cows for the grinders? Have we not slurped our way through too many silken bowls of pork-tinged broth? Evidently not. Le sigh…
As for the rest? Donuts keep ringin’ true. Casual fine dining is here to stay. Foraging (aka going hyperlocal) is on fire. Tea is getting the gourmet treatment. Ice cream sandwiches will be hot. Chilled booze/solid cocktails will find new love. And something about chicken…
Baum+Whiteman
Restaurant consultancy group extraordinaire Baum+Whiteman released a 2014 Trend Report as well, and this one is a li’l more up our alley. (Albeit, a more international alley it is.) Evidently on the international stage chicken is fleeing the co-op… and heading for loft-like digs. Yes, haute chicken is becoming as revered as beautifully seared tenderloin. Poulet-vous mangez avec moi, ce soir? Also of note are the rise of oils other than EVOO, for use when butter just won’t do.
Tasting menus are still buzzing, and becoming the only option at more and more restaurants around the globe. Eatertainment is on the rise, offering up food for all of our senses. And Middle Eastern cuisine is getting its designation as a fine dining option… at restaurants that make fine dining Middle Eastern fare, of course. (Sorry Ghazale!)