There will be a number of food trends that will appear in 2023, including viral recipes, restaurant dishes and meals that will leave many people wanting more.
Some of these food trends are making a comeback and others are on the list you’ve never heard of.
If your goal this year is to visit, try, and cook a lot of food in the culinary space, this list will help you with the types of food and ingredients to stock your pantry.
9 Food trends for 2023
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) Trendspotter panel creates and predicts trends for the culinary world by talking to restaurant owners, food and sustainability consultants, chefs for academia, representatives of industry bodies and food stylists.
- Convenience Is King: More consumers will cook at home, a necessity that the Covid-19 pandemic has forced, but people are tired of doing so. Melanie Bartelme says people will want restaurant-quality food and will look to brands that have shortcuts to cooking that food. These include meal kits, ready-to-cook and eat-in kits, as seen in brands such as UCook and FitFood4u.
- Eco-friendly food: People think more about the planet. That’s why they read labels and like to support companies that are environmentally friendly and focus on sustainability. This also means that the popularity of plant-based foods will continue to rise. Expect biodynamic food systems, indigenous farming practices, soil fertility, and seed diversity, Jonathan Deutsch said.
- Alternatives to seafood: As above, consumers are looking for alternatives to eating seafood. The movement focuses more on meat, but seafood alternatives to rethink seaweed and algae to preserve biodiversity.
- Health In Balance: It’s a balancing act between good-for-you foods and not depriving yourself of comfort foods. “Better for you” snacks such as dehydrated vegetables or mushroom chips will be more accessible and chosen as preferred snacks.
- Unlimited Pantry: Pantry ingredients in areas as far as Mexico, Spain and West Africa can be difficult to find, however, r more and more foodies and cooks want to explore in the kitchen. These include ingredients, dishes that include complex flavors, special chilies, fruits, nuts and spices that are only found in certain regions.
- Nuanced heat: People will pursue new paths in the kitchen. “What started in the hot sauce category is exploding into honey, spreads, sweets, drinks, and snacks, snagging new markets like younger consumers, especially, and specialty food companies that inspire them to introduce heat and spices to existing product line,” said Mikel Cirkus. The taste is predicted to be more nuanced, mixed with interesting combinations.
- Natural sweeteners: Instead of asking for a sugar fix from processed foods, natural sugars such as pure honey, coconut sugar, dates and pure maple syrup will be added to the recipe. For example, energy balls using dates and granola bars are included in the dessert.
- Global fruits: With the cost of living continuing to rise, escapism will come not only from travel but from sensory experiences that come from food. The colorful stone fruits of unbelievable shapes and sizes will be the taste of a tropical place.
- Packaging For New Forms and Functions: Packaging that claims sustainability will gain trust among consumers.
Another food trend
Other food trends in 2023 include more food from Africa, a popular cocktail menu with seltzers and a cleaner and more diverse range of plant-based products.
Current reading: Eight restaurants to visit in 2023
Compiled by Sandisiwe Mbhele