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10 restaurant and food predictions for 2023

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    Almost every major change in how we eat begins as a fad, which is really just a shared moment between a subset of diners or chefs that is gaining popularity. Some fads are slowly fading, such as wine coolers or molecular gastronomy. Others suddenly implode, like turmeric lattes or the pink sauce that rocketed up on TikTok this year and then exploded.

    There are fads that develop into trends and then become woven into the fabric of our time. Who knew a fringe interest in custom-roasted coffee beans in Berkeley, California in the 1960s would lead to Starbucks?

    It’s hard to separate the fleeting from the permanent, but that doesn’t stop many people from trying. I waded through dozens of reports and press releases, interviewing the top food forecasters in the game to peer into the food crystal ball of 2023.

    In a time of inflation, climate change and global tensions, some predictions seem grim. “We’re tired,” said Jennifer Zegler, a food and beverage director for global market research group Mintel. “Simplicity, versatility, escapism and ingenuity are what our trends boil down to this year.”

    Not everything is gloom. High-quality Jell-O shots, bright, natural-colored dishes, and packaging that evokes the 1970s are in. Foods and drinks that make you feel healthier will also continue to multiply. “People want something fun, and they want novelty, and they want, of course,” says Claire Lancaster, who predicts food and drink trends for WGSN.

    Here are 10 interpretations of the tea leaves.

    Embrace the brine. Fresh, invigorating marine flavors have sparked a craze for coastal cocktails topped with crab claws and oysters. Dan Levy, the actor and host of “The Big Brunch,” makes Clamato cool. Sea vegetables such as kelp and sea creatures such as uni have made their way onto several trend lists.

    Calling yourself a climatologist is so 2022. The new term is regenivore. It is no longer about sustainable eating, which means preserving what is. A new generation wants food from companies that are actively healing the planet through carbon-reducing agriculture, stricter animal welfare policies, and fair treatment of the people who grow and process food.

    Look for big changes to reduce waste in packaging. More chefs will use what Mintel calls “climate hero ingredients” such as teff, fava and lupine beans, and more guests will choose foods and drinks that improve their health and that of the planet. Even the alcohol industry has started using words like eco-alignment. “These companies don’t just want to be seen as doing the right thing every day,” said Joan Driggs, who studies retail trends and consumer packaged goods for IRI, a data analytics company. “They really want to be seen as people who make a positive difference.”

    Goosebumps have been trying to get rid of chicharrones for a while now, but this could be their year. Riding the wave of an obsessive interest in all forms of fried chicken, crispy chicken skins are the basis for nachos at pop-ups, and with sauce and condiments as appetizers at restaurants. Rising chicken prices have chefs looking for ways to get more out of chicken. Asian kitchens that regularly use goosebumps provide culinary inspiration.

    Chris Moyer, Perdue’s chef, placed the skins high on his list of most promising chicken products and likes them instead of croutons in salads or as toupées for roasts. And then there’s the crunch factor, which more than 70 percent of consumers say they look for in a snack, says Denise Lefebvre, senior vice president of R&D for PepsiCo Foods. “People like the crunch,” she said. “Anything that enhances the senses is big now.”

    Japanese food is the cuisine that all other cuisines prefer to deal with. “Chefs around the world, many of Japanese descent, are combining Japanese ingredients or culinary techniques with foods they love from their local area,” said AF&Co and Carbonate, two San Francisco firms collaborating on an annual hospitality trend report.

    In New York, Kimika restaurant is a popular practitioner of itameshi, the combination of Italian and Japanese cuisine. Nikkei, the mishmash of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine, can be seen at places like Causita in Los Angeles, where Peruvian potatoes take the place of sushi rice. At Ethel’s Fancy in Palo Alto, California, a fourth-generation Japanese-American chef defines California-Japanese cuisine. Even Nordic chef René Redzepi is on board: his next big pop-up Noma will be in Kyoto.

    Inflation, fear of climate change and growing concerns about waste and conspicuous consumption are fueling a new interest in frugality. “People are no longer ashamed and no longer hiding their coupons,” Ms Lancaster said. Social media is full of money-saving kitchen tips and menu hacks to get cheaper items at Starbucks and other restaurants. Energy costs, both financial and environmental, are expected to convince home cooks to use more small appliances such as microwave ovens, air fryers and electric kettles instead of turning on the oven. Private-label supermarket brands and restaurants that offer shorter menus and more value are gaining momentum. “Expect a stronger focus on sustainability, flexibility and timelessness as consumers want to buy less and own products that last longer and serve multiple purposes,” writes Simon Moriarty, director of Mintel Trends, in his report for the year ahead.

    Ube, a slightly nutty-tasting, vanilla-scented purple yam from the Philippines, appears on many trend lists and in all sorts of foods and drinks, from cakes and waffles to lattes and ube coladas. It easily made it to the list of colors and flavors that reflect the mood of 2023 compiled by food processing giant ADM. The yam’s popularity has been fueled by an interest in bright, natural-colored foods such as dragon fruit, lychee, and purple Peruvian corn. Also rising: floral flavors like vetiver and ylang-ylang.

    Just as the Apollo era popularized Tang and freeze-dried ice, a renewed interest in space travel in 2023 will affect how we eat and drink. which appear in limited supply on Earth. Already there are climate-friendly Moonshot crackers (the wheat was grown using regenerative methods) and Starlight, a limited-release Coca-Cola drink that calls itself “space flavored.” (Exactly what space tastes like has sparked deep debate online.) “Top Chef” contestants cooked for astronauts this year. Experiments with growing food in space will fuel interest in vertical gardening and vegetables that can grow in stressed environments on Earth.

    “The undiscovered novelty of space will have a particularly unsullied charm for Gen Z, who are disillusioned with the world as it is,” Mintel’s Ms. Zegler said. “But brands should also consider the inspirational role space will play in the lives of Gen Alpha.”

    After nearly three years of limited social interaction and ordering, people are looking for restaurants that offer interaction, excitement and a bit of show. Look for more dining room trolleys, elaborate ice sculptures, flaming desserts like Baked Alaska, and cocktails finished at the table with a puff of smoke or a change of color. Food and music merge in new ways, such as revamped versions of the old-fashioned piano bar. “There’s a quest for interaction,” said Andrew Freeman, a San Francisco hospitality public relations veteran. “People are willing to spend money, but they are looking for the value proposition of the experience. Engagement is key.”

    Nigerian food, with its rich and varied layers, will become a breakout star in the United States as chefs and diners unfamiliar with West African cuisine begin to understand it from a regional perspective, such as a general interest in Italian cuisine eventually led to an appreciation of the cuisine of Tuscany or Sicily.

    In Brooklyn, Nigerian chef Ayo Balogun’s Dept of Culture offers an experience that’s as much a dinner party as it is a restaurant. Kwame Onwuachi plays with a version of egusi stew at Tatiana, which just opened at Lincoln Center. Fonio, a drought-resistant African grain that suggests a marriage between couscous and quinoa, has been championed by chefs like Pierre Thiam and Alon Shaya. Even Mexican food gets a Nigerian twist. At Naija Boy Tacos in Sacramento, Nigerian-American chef Rasheed Amedu serves curried goat on plantain cassava tortillas and herb chicken with the street kebab condiment called suya.

    Eating together understandably fell out of favor during the pandemic, and many people aren’t ready to return to buffets or reach for the same bag of chips. But forecasters see a turnaround coming. “If you look at what our lives were like for a few years, we didn’t share because sharing was considered dangerous,” says Ms. Lefebvre of PepsiCo Foods. “Now the sense of community has never been stronger.”

    That’s partly why her company introduced Minis in November, small versions of snacks like Cheetos and Sun Chips in canisters that make it easier to pour some into a friend’s hand. It’s also responsible for the growing popularity of appetizer and dessert towers as well as large-format cocktails like the $100 Disco Mule served in a large disco ball at the Tipsy Alchemist in Austin, Texas. And there’s perhaps no better indication of food’s rising popularity for a crowd than the continued growth of food served on a communal plate that began with the charcuterie craze.

    The atmosphere goes beyond products. Restaurants, emerging from the pandemic into a new era of respect for staff and love for community, are sharing more information about the people behind the food, whether they’re putting the names of the entire crew on the menu as some restaurants call farms. or, in the case of Hi Felicia, a new kind of high-end, homegrown restaurant in Oakland, California, that encourages diners to get to know the entire staff by name.

    Name these trends: In the beverage category, yaupon tea from the American holly tree is on many lists for 2023, along with coffee drinks made with fruit puree and milk, or roasted in a style called white coffee. Avocados will leave toast and arrive in cocktails and desserts, and avocado oil will be a favorite cooking medium. In boozy trends, keep an eye out for the Mexican spirit called sotol and a retro interest in Galliano liqueur. Friendly restaurants will experiment with monthly subscriptions and chic restaurants with matured fish. Fermentation continues its rise to the top of many lists, with no-ingredient ingredients like bee-free honey and cocoa-free chocolate.

    Audio produced by Tally Abecassis.