Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants fifth annual Culinary + Cocktails Trend Forecast, features the ingredients, flavours and dishes that chefs across the country will be exploring and experimenting with in the new year.
Plant-based movement goes into overdrive
Last year’s forecast saw meat alternatives going mainstream, but the plant-based movement won’t stop there. This year, 80 percent of chefs plan to feature avegan or raw dish on their menu, whether that’s a savory dish like spaghetti and beet balls or a sweet treat like raw cashew date cheesecake.
Expect to see more “whole beast movement” but with a vegetable twist, as chefs experiment with “whole vegetable” entries, like roasted eggplant with eggplant caviar and family-style vegetable “charcuterie.”
Carnivores double down
There will be more experimentation withoffal-based dishes – such as monkfish liver mousse, trippa on bruschetta and offal and sausage arancini, showing that the plant-based movement isn’t stopping meat-lovers from getting adventurous.
Unique flavours, herbs & spices
Nearly 40 percent of chefs seesmoky flavors influencing menus in 2019, with floral flavors (rose and lavender) and Israeli flavors (cumin and tahini) also gaining popularity.
We’ll see more creative uses ofAfrican spices, including the blend of ras el hanout from North Africa, South African herb rooibos or “red bush” and the fiery and aromatic berbere spice mix found in many Ethiopian dishes.
Thirty-one percent of chefs listedsumac as the number one spice they’ll be using in 2019, with Japanese seven-spice mix togarashi and green, leafy lovage also emerging as favorites.
The superfood revolution
Expect to see moregut-friendly, fermented and probiotic-rich ingredients like tapache and sauerkraut infiltrating both dishes and drinks alike.
From spices like turmeric, sage and holy basil, to proclaimed “natural elixirs” like rose water, camu and goji berries, we’re seeing a newobsession with superfoods that pack a strong nutritional punch.
Classics reimagined
We’ll continue to seeclassics like pasta and pizza reimagined, as carbohydrate alternatives like cauliflower gnocchi, yuba pasta and chickpea and polenta crusts continue flying off the shelves. We also don’t expect the spotlight to fade on milk alternatives as new players like hemp milk become more mainstream.
Chefs are also transforming classics like crab beignets, clam chowder and deep-dish pizza to create fritters with apple sage aioli, chowder fries, and pizza seasoned potato chips.
Upping the ante on sustainability
Chefs are continuing to incorporatesustainable practices into their restaurants by embracing zero waste dinners, sourcing from one origin, onsite composting and greenhouses, and by reducing gas, heat and water usage.
Hyper local sourcingalso continues to be top of mind with 57 percent of chefs identifying vegetables as the most important ingredient to source locally, trumping fruit, meat, dairy, wine and spirits.
Please contact KCCJ today for any 2019 commercial kitchen developments:
Tel: 01322 291188
www.kccj.co.uk
email: [email protected]
@KCCJLTD
