New Year, New Trends

On the indulgent end of the spectrum, burgers – both meaty and meatless – remained the rage, but vegetables were really the star of this year’s show. “Diners continued their love affair with burgers,” says Certified Master Chef Ron DeSantis, “but plants became the center of attraction. Menus need balance and the vegetable trend reminded everyone that plant-based options should not be an afterthought.”

Double your pleasure with the latest in food mashups, where two or more all-time favorites are combined to craft a creative new dish. Foodservice Development Chef for Hormel Foods, Tony Finnestad, says the trend evolved in 2017 when chefs started merging global dishes. “Mashups progressed from menus that featured different international dishes to chefs blending global ingredients and techniques into the same dish,” he says.

Spices – especially turmeric and blended spice combinations – also grew in popularity during 2017, and most of the chefs we spoke to agree they will continue to gain traction. “Turmeric was everywhere this year,” says Stephanie Goldfarb, chef and owner of Chicago’s popular Seven Species Supper Club & Catering and winner of the Food Network’s America’s Best Cook in 2014. “We’re going to see even more of an upswing in spice usage in the new year.”