Food Trends Update, Whats New!

Earlier in the year we posted about projected food trends for 2009, and as the year is halfway over we thought we’d have a new look at emerging culinary trends popping up.  Because while we may not always partake in new trendy menu items served up via cutting edge chefs in hot restaurants,  it’s fun to be in the know.  And besides, our palates are fickle and constantly craving new creative flavors.  What’s new out there?

Via Creative Commons Mr Wabu on Flickr

Our first insights are via Chow’s Trend O Meter from the past few months, which appear to be trends they are experiencing as well as tips sent in from readers. They say:

IN:

• Waffles, topped with anything from pulled pork to dulce de leche, and also going back to Southern roots, served with crispy fried chicken (hangover cure!)

• Ice cream in strange and savory flavors, such as bacon, purple yam, and thai chili with goat cheese

• Duck hash, as well as the classic corned beef hash

• Congee, the classic Asian rice porridge, has been popping up frequently in west coast restaurants

• Exotic upscale donuts have replaced cupcakes as the new sweet treat of choice

• Sugar cereals such as Trix and Fruit Loops are back, and, showing up as toppings on waffles and donuts

• Roti, an indian flatbread, frequently used as a wrap for curry dishes has shown up on the radar nationwide

• Kimchee, the spicy Korean picked cabbage is in, most likely a result of the famous Kogi Taco Truck

• Pickled eggs are moving in to trendy venues, and egg on pizza has shown up frequently as well

• Unfortunately, the mild fish Skate has risen from trash to treasure, however this is a sad trend as it is in general severly overfished and in serious decline, not recommended.

• Homemade granola and customized online granola

• Fried Chickpeas are showing up everywhere.  Here is a great recipe we devoured recently for crispy fried garbazos in a garlic chili oil from Chef Andrew Zimmerman of Del Toro restaurant in Chicago, highly recommended!

• Regarding alcoholic drinks, Mezcal (a smokey agave spirit) cocktails are hot, in addition to German beers, bacon infused bourbon, and good old Pabst Blue Ribbon.

And Chow reports that the following menu items are out: Seared Ahi, pita bread, cupcakes, sliders, Belgian beer, Mojitos, and infused Vodka.  Bah!  Regardless of hipster trends we will forever hold seared Ahi close to our heart!!

In other media sources, the Food Channel reports that pigs are being put on hazelnut diets, to add a sweet nutty tasting flavor to pork, a new trend that may raise the bar for US cured meats.

The Seattle Post reports an emergence of the citrus fruits Blood Orange and Yuzu that we should expect to see  in future drinks, candy and sauces, as well as exotic crunchy snacks such as roasted coconut, jackfruit, pumpkin and taro root chips.

On our end in the western US, we’ve seen a huge trend and consumer love for Mexican Coke, sold in glass bottles and made with pure can sugar versus high fructose corn syrup.  Now found not only in Mexican grocery stores but traditional grocery stores throughout the west, it truly is delicious when served ice cold, sadly it also leave a  huge carbon footprint in its tracks.

Good news for frugal shoppers from the AP, as they report that salvage grocery stores aka “dollar stores” for food are flourishing, offering severely discounted prices on items such as slightly crushed boxes of cereal and saltines or past their prime bottled dressings and sauces.

Do you have your finger on the pulse of anything else we should know?  Love or detest any of the new food trends?  Let us know in the comments!