Chef’s Table
By: Michael Formichella
Trend shifts
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)
Looking back through some files at the office, I came across a piece we had produced several years ago for a trade show. The piece highlighted five emerging trends. While reading I reflected on that time in my life and the work we were doing in the culinary arena. I wanted to see how close we were on identifying these movements. Did they emerge, and are they still current or just a flash in the pan?
In retrospect, there was no new huge revelation identified in the piece, merely a broad-based reflection of some prevailing styles that were happening slowly and foods we had tasted or read about while traveling around the country. To say the piece was safe in its predictions would be an understatement. We highlighted Asian, Mediterranean, Spanish, Latin and Indian foods as our main focus. What I did find interesting is the proliferation of these now-well-established cuisines and how they are being positioned in current menus and retail offerings today.
With the advent of cooking shows, the even wider expanse of social media / Internet surfing, and a growing arsenal of cooking magazines, trends are primed to jump quickly from one venue to the next. This follows a different path than they had in the past. Thousands of authentic ethnic eateries, cutting-edge food and flavor trends are more important than ever in shaping the foods we consider common place today.
So where are we headed? The safe money is on a decentralization of the aforementioned broad-based cuisines wherin they will become more sub-regional specific. With street food and mobile trucks, this movement also has added a new dimension to our food landscape, with strong influences from Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand being integraded either as an authentic dish or an adaptation using specific flavor profiles to help create the next wow factor. On the front burner I also see more offerings from Mexico, specifically called out from what could be broken down into six main regions. Meanwhile, a growing awareness of foods from El Salvador, Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas also will make an impact.
Do you see this also? Please share your thoughts.
October 15, 2010
