US Menu Trends: What’s Hot in 2010?

 
The hottest US Restaurant Menu Trends in 2010: the National Restaurant Association's annual survey of more than 1,800 professional chefs, all of them members of the American Culinary Federation, reveals that locally grown produce, sustainability and nutrition are the leading culinary themes: concepts that are appealing to both restaurant operators and consumers. The message is defnitely relevant to foodservice professionals in Europe, too.
 
The Association surveyed 1,854 American Culinary Federation member chefs in October 2009, asking them to rate 214 individual food/beverage items, preparation methods and culinary themes divided into categories as a hot trend, yesterday's news, or perennial favourite on restaurant menus in 2010.
 
Locally grown produce, locally sourced meats and seafood, sustainability, minidesserts and locally produced wine and beer top the list. Rounding out the top 10 trends are nutritious kids' meals, halfportions, farm-branded ingredients, glutenfree/ food-allergy conscious meals and sustainable seafood.
 
Ranked as the third hottest trend and qualified as the major culinary theme, sustainability seems appealing to both restaurant operators and consumers - whether applied to produce, meat, seafood or alcoholic beverages. It's all about environmentally friendly practices and local sourcing: from farm to fork. Freshness, minimal transportation, and supporting local communities and businesses are background motifs here.
 
Similarly, nutrition has become a major concern. Healthful options for children, produce, superfruits, bite-size and half portions, and food allergy conscious and gluten-free meals all rank in the top 20. "The top trends this year - local sourcing, sustainability and nutrition - reflect wider societal trends and consumers' growing interest in these issues," summarizes Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the Association.
 
Also included in the survey were questions about kitchen and concept trends. The chefs rated environmentally friendly equipment as the top kitchen equipment trend, and the hottest restaurant concept in 2010 as restaurants with gardens. What about ethnic cuisines and flavours? Here, regional ethnic cuisine tops the list, followed by ethnic fusion, North African/Maghreb, Latin American/ Nuevo Latino and Southeast Asian. When it comes to food items/ingredients, the chefs opt primarily for artisanal cheeses, black garlic, ancient grains such as kamut or amaranth, flatbreads (naan, papadum, lavash, pita) and flower syrup/essence.
 
These and more restaurant industry trends will be presented in action at the NRA Show 2010 and IWSB. The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show will be held May 22-25 in Chicago, together with the International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (May 23-24).
 
www.restaurant.org/foodtrends
 
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| 19 February 2010 |