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Make These Food Trends Part of Your Next Event

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What your choices to be in line with the current trends? Borrow some of these ideas from the American Culinary Federation’s 2022 What’s Hot forecast. 

Asian-influenced bowls are among the hot food trends



In November 2021, the National Restaurant Association released its What’s Hot 2022 Culinary Forecast, based on the opinions of members of the American Culinary Federation. Each of the 350 participants was asked to review and rank a list of 109 food items and culinary concepts across 12 categories identified by the Association and Technomic’s Menu Research and Insights Division. Learn more about the report at restaurant.org.

Top Food Trends
1. Sustainability 
2. Plant-based foods
3. Comfort foods
4. Healthy and immunity-boosting foods
5. Global fare and flavors 

Global Flavors
Foods from different parts of the world scored high. Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Singaporean, Philippine), South American (Argentinian, Brazilian, Chilean) and Caribbean (Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican) cuisines are the top 3 trends shaping menus.

Chicken wings (photo by iStock)

Comfort Favorites
When it comes to appetizers, a few longtime comfort favorites made the list of trends for 2022, with upscale potato chips in new preparations and flavored with unexpected ingredients topping the list. New spins on chicken wings (such as flavor-fusion sauces and plant-based protein) and globally spiced fries also made the short list. 

Packaging Priorities
To-go meals are here to stay and, along with packaging that allows meals to travel intact and retain their temperature, the use of sustainable (reusable or recyclable) packaging topped the list of trends in this category. 

Margarita with a Tajin rim (photo by iStock)

Happy Hour
As far as alcohol trends, hard seltzers topped the list. Cocktails rimmed with unique spices (such as Tajin and togarashi) and to-go cocktail preparation kits were other top trends chefs who took part in the survey identified as hot for 2022. 

Spice It Up 
Gochujang — the savory, sweet and spicy red chili paste popular in Korean cuisine — topped the list of trends in condiments, sauces, spices and seasonings. Tajin, a Mexican spice made from salt, lime and peppers; and Harissa, a hot chili pepper paste that originated in Tunisia, rounded out the top three. 

Breakfast bowl (photo by iStock)

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 
Whatever meal you are preparing for your meeting guests, here are trends chefs identified as popular for 2022.  

Breakfast 

» Nontraditional breakfast proteins, such as chorizo or vegan bacon

» Plant-based breakfast sandwiches

» Egg-based breakfast bowls 

Lunch 

» Plant-based sandwiches

» Globally inspired salads

» Grain-based bowls 

Dinner 

» Less-expensive chicken cuts, such as thighs and wings 

» Plant-based burgers

» Less-expensive beef cuts

 

 

 

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