As we count down to the New Year we're offering a sneak peak at some of the top food trends to look forward to in 2018. Local/sustainable, clean ingredients and veggie-centric meals will continue to reign as culinary concepts. Here are a few other trends we're excited to see in the year ahead.
Everything Ethnic - We've been creating and preparing global cuisine for our clients for years. So we're excited that authentic ethnic-inspired cuisine will be seen in everything from breakfast to kids meals, condiments and spices with Peruvian cuisine and African flavors predicted to be hot in 2018. Be sure to try Za'atar, a middle-eastern dry spice blend, which is one of our favorites. Typically mixed with olive oil and spread on flatbread, we also use it to season our homemade crackers, yogurt, and to liven up grilled meats and poultry.
Food Waste Reduction - Market demand for meat that's tasty and tender combined with growing efforts to reduce food waste have led to increased research aimed at identifying undervalued but affordable cuts of meat. Flat iron is a great example that has become popular over the last 10 years. In 2018 look for new cuts such as Vegas Strip Steak, Merlot cut, and shoulder tender. You can also expect to see perfectly edible but typically discarded produce parts put to good use like broccoli stems in slaw (great in soups and quiche too), garlic scapes in pesto and beet greens in sautes, soups and stews.
Prepared Meals - Mail order subscription meal kits were all the rage in 2017 and competition is expected to heat up in the New Year with grocery stores and even Amazon capitalizing on the trend. While kits are convenient, selection is often limited and you still have to cook and clean up. Unfortunately (or fortunately for us) there is still a growing number of people who just don't have the time or interest in cooking. Demand for personal chef services and fully customized prepared meal delivery services such as ours will continue to grow. So don't worry! We're not going anywhere and we look forward to cooking for you in 2018!