Angela Sellers is a chef, food stylist and recipe developer at Hormel Foods. She is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has done recipe development for Martha Stewart, Food Network and Southern Living Magazine.
We asked her to elaborate on this year’s flavor trends.
Q&A
Looking back at 2017, what evolving trends did you see dominate the food landscape?
Looking back at 2017, I saw a lot of composed grain bowls – anything from Mexican grain bowls with rice, beans, avocado and jalapenos to more unique bowls using farro, spelt, quinoa, oats and barley topped with roasted root vegetables, hearty greens and nuts/seeds.
Ramen also seemed to have a surge in popularity.
Looking back at 2017, what ingredients did you see gain popularity with consumers?
Ingredients I felt were gaining in popularity were chia, kombucha, turmeric, alternative nut butters, spiralized vegetables and coconut oil.
I wouldn’t say kale is gaining popularity but it’s definitely holding steady.
Conversely, did you notice any trends or ingredients lose momentum in 2017?
Ingredients I felt lost momentum were quinoa, kimchee and kale chips.
Looking ahead to 2018, do you anticipate any interesting themes or trending ingredients in the food landscape?
I will be looking out for poke bowls, charcoal and more turmeric.
How do you plan on incorporating these trending ingredients and themes into your cooking?
I’ve already started incorporating poke bowls with House of Tsang® sauces – a predictable pairing – but will also look at ways of adding other brands to the mix.
I’m not sure if charcoal will make the cut with our audience – maybe by the time Halloween rolls around, we’ll be ready.
Turmeric will be an easy add to many of Hormel Foods brands.