What Does 2022 Have in Store? Let's Look at the Trends
The analysts have made their predictions for what to expect in 2022. What's on the horizon? Come take a look!
Every year we look at culinary trends for the upcoming year to prepare for what's in store. This year is no different. The food and beverage experts we follow have an uncanny knack for uncovering what is hip and cool in hospitality. From plant-based menu items to unique natural ingredients, there are many fun and exciting items coming down the track.
Unique Ingredients
Newly discovered ingredients and unique textures dominate upcoming food trends. Look for seaweed and algae (like spirulina) to make an appearance in dishes including ice cream! Hearts of palm, lobster mushrooms, and cactus are just a few ingredients to bring unique textures to dishes.
Look for recipes to use additional techniques to provide dishes with a completely different flavor profile. for example, charring vegetables before using them in a recipe leaves the cook with a more intense flavor profile of the item that was charred.
Don't be surprised to find savory items, like carrots and yams, to make an additional appearance in desserts like ice cream. The orange color of the carrot and the highly unique purple color of purple yams are popping up in recipes.
The Here and Now
Technology has catapulted us into life with ever-increasing speed. It's difficult to actually live in the here and now with devices constantly bringing the past and future into the palm of our hands. The next trend you can expect to see aims to counteract mindlessness with mindfulness.
Being present for friends, family, and even business associates, over a good meal is a way to slow life down just a little. Choose mindfulness when preparing, and especially when eating, the delectable foods you make. Spices, herbs, and nutrition come together for dishes that you can't help but pay attention to.
Look for warming spice mixes like garam masala and cooling spices like fennel, cumin, and turmeric to show up on the scene with flavor combos that can't be ignored.
Looking Back to Look Forward
Expect the nostalgia trend to keep popping up as food items from your childhood have also grown up and are raising their heads. Delight your senses along with your sensibilities with old recipes made with a twist.
More Specifics Please
Okay, these trends have, so far, been mostly nebulous. How about we add a few specifics to watch for.
International food is still hot! Expect this year to bring more of Singapore to the table, especially through their popular dish, Laksa. Talk about a dish to bring you to the here-and-now. Spicy and aromatic, with noodles and broth for slurping, Laksa is a fun and tasty choice for the dish of the year.
What's a meal without dessert? This year, look for Hawaiian shave ice to dominate. So flexible, you can add anything from traditional chocolate and caramel flavors to fruity flavors, and even the cloyingly sweet and colorful syrups shave ice is known for.
Don't forget something to wash it all down. The 80s are back, baby! Don't be surprised to find cocktails popular in the 1980s on beverage lists. The revival of 50s drinks along with Long Island Iced Teas and espresso martinis will be hitting your local establishments soon. A twist on this trend? Health. Look for natural ingredients and less sugar in your updated drinks. Fer sher!
Our international tour continues with a trip to the Caribbean for the cuisine of the year. Big flavor comes from this island nation with its melting pot of traditional foods like Creole, Cajun, European, African, and Latin American just to name a few. Hold on to your hats with these dishes filled with flavor.
Dinner and a Show
Food and drink are one thing, but what about service? We've been cooped up so much recently that finally getting out of the house for a meal feels like it needs a little more. And restaurants are on board. Table service for food and beverage is growing. Watch for more interaction with appetizers like guacamole being made right at the table. Desserts are a great excuse for some flair. Enter flambe like Baked Alaska to hit menus again.
Even drinks are getting in on the act. From smoked drinks, with tendrils of charred and aromatic woodsy notes to enhance that whisky, to elaborate garnishes that remain Insta-worthy, your cocktails (with or without alcohol) are often showstoppers.
But What About Tea and Coffee
We are all about our coffee and tea, so what's happening with that? Plenty!
Afternoon tea is back! Many chic hotels are bringing back high tea. That slow mid-afternoon time period between lunch and happy hour is finding new life with the return of the tea party. Whether more traditional like an English tea or uncommon like an Alice in Wonderland theme, expect options for your afternoon "pick-me-up".
Bubble tea is still growing, even making it into mainstream fast food at Sonic!
Coffee is continuing to evolve as well. Last year's fad/trend was Dalgona coffee from India. This whipped and frothy coffee was all the rage across the internet. This year, coffee continues to go international with coffee prep sprinting past drip, pour-over, and espresso and heading towards traditions from the far reaches of the world. Try an Israeli coffee made with Yemen coffee over ice with a bit of cream and aromatic spices like ginger, turmeric, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. The spice mixture is reminiscent of chai spice and is a delicious discovery.
Vietnamese coffee preparations are also on the rise, with ingredients like sweetened condensed milk creating thick coffees to keep your afternoon energy up.
For something to chill you down, watch for the new evolution of the smoothie. What does this look like? Would you believe smoothie-in-a-can? Yep! Smoothies have now made it into the ready-to-drink category, with canned versions hitting the shelves. Have you tried them yet? What do you think?
Wrap It Up
We'll wrap up the trends here. That's enough to keep us busy throughout the year. Have you seen any of these trends out in the wild? Let us know which you've seen and tried.