Every Ridiculous Food Trend Predicted for 2020

From “less focus on the center of the plate more on the outskirts” to lab-grown meat, here’s what the trend-casters predict we’ll be eating next year

Start blending your beef burgers with mushrooms and clear your throat for some voice-command ordering, because 2020 is almost here. As is tradition, it’s time to consult the all-knowing restaurant trend oracle (aka my inbox) and see what the future holds for dining, drinking, and snacking in the coming year.

The seers of the industry — data mining consulting firms, PR reps, chefs with PR reps, and major brands — each have taken turns divining what’s in and what’s out in food. The prognosticators craft predictions based on trends in the past year, personal preferences, speculation, copying, and, yes, a little bit of witchcraft, too. It’s also the most likely time of year to encounter the term “ethnic” in a press release.

Along with explosively popular trends like plant-based protein burgers and chicken sandwiches, the hive mind seems to universally agree that zero-proof drinking will continue into the new year. Likewise, health halo beverages like boozy kombucha and alcoholic still water are expected to gain even more ground among consumers in the spirit of 2019’s alcoholic seltzers. On the opposite end, some companies such as Uber Eats are predicting the decline of acai, charcoal, seitan, and hummus. Odd, considering many others predicted a rise in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Are these trends the real deal or simply a way for marketers to infiltrate the end of year news cycle and will their future products into popularity? Regardless, Eater has sifted through the many, many lists copying other lists to create a megalist of what will be hot and what will be, well, not in the coming year. Are the predictions conflicting? Yes. Are the words nonsensical? Yes. What is gastrophysics? Don’t ask. See you in hell.

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• Plant-based protein, Impossible burgers (Popsugar) (Institute of Food Technologists) (Uber Eats) (Parts Town) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Cauliflower (Popsugar) (Yelp) (Uber Eats) (Fancy Food Show)
• Aronia berries (WGSN)
• Ube (Popsugar) (Yelp)
• Alt-Milk (Popsugar) (Technomic) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Uber Eats)
• Spreads and butters like macadamia nut butter and watermelon seed butter (Popsugar) (Whole Foods)
• Kombucha, boozy kombucha (Popsugar) (Yelp) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Insider) (Fancy Food Show) (Food Bev Media)
• Mocktails, spirit-free cocktails, hopped water, non-alcoholic happy hours, and low ABV drinks, “softer liquors” (Yelp) (Popsugar) (Jeff Virojanapa, Owner of White Orchids Thai Cuisine and Notch Modern Kitchen & Bar) (ViewHouse) (Whole Foods) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Technomic) (Restaurants Canada) (Insider) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Nashville hot chicken (Popsugar) (Yelp)
• Pancakes (Popsugar)
• Gastrophysics (Restaurants Canada)
• Mood-boosting and energy-enhancing adaptogens (Restaurants Canada) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Indulgent alcohol (Restaurants Canada)
• Culinary mixology (Restaurants Canada) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Wood-fire cooking (Restaurants Canada) (Antimo DiMeo of Bardea Food & Drink via Food & Wine)
• Touch screens and self-serve kiosks (Restaurants Canada) (Parts Town) (Finances Online)
• Ghost kitchens (Restaurants Canada) (Oracle Food and Beverage) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Zero-waste (Restaurants Canada) (Institute of Food Technologists) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Insider) (Food Bev Media)
• Lab-grown meat (Restaurants Canada)
• Arepas and Latin American cuisine (Irena Stein) (Briant Arciniega, Zuma Las Vegas)
• Delivery kitchens (Technomic x2) (Insider)
• Delivery (Parts Town) (Finances Online)
• Plant-based (Technomic) (M Booth) (Cacique) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Veganism (Technomic)
• Streamlined, convenience chain cafes (Technomic)
• Collagen-spiked drinks (Technomic)
• Sichuan mala sauce (Technomic)
• Brown sugar bubble tea (Technomic)
• Pinsa-style pizzas (Technomic)
• Halloumi as a meat alternative (Technomic)
• Sliders (Technomic)
• Instagram-unfriendly #sadfood (Technomic)
• Tamper-proof delivery packaging (Technomic)
• Delivery-only breakfast menus from casual-dining chains (Technomic)
• Track and trace food labeling, food safety in supply chains (Institute of Food Technologists) (Vital Vio)
• CRISPR crops (Institute of Food Technologists)
• “Free from” packaging claims (Institute of Food Technologists) (Finances Online)
• Foods made with reduced sugar (Institute of Food Technologists) (Food Bev Media)
• Tasting menus (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• Chef collaborations (Chef John Russ, Clementine) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• “More elevated/ fine dining ethnic places” (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• Veggies, grains, and nuts (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• “Less focus on the center of the plate more on the outskirts” (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• “Move away from ‘southern’ style everything” (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• “Move away from white male-dominated ideas driving the trends” (Chef John Russ, Clementine)
• Holistic health (M Booth) (Finances Online) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Hybrid flavor foods/sweet and sour/bone broth oatmeal (M Booth) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Keto (M Booth) (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Uber Eats)
• Even more yogurt (M Booth)
• Healthy snacks (goPuff) (Food Bev Media) (Frito-Lay)
• Boxed and canned wine (goPuff) (Marcie Turney of We Love 13th Street restaurant group via Food and Wine
• Mexican herbs like hoja santa, epazote and marjoram (Cacique)
• Nixtamalization for fresh tortillas and tamales (Cacique)
• Insects such as chapulines and escamoles (Cacique) (Technomic)
• Regional foods from the Yucatan Peninsula and Central Mexico (Cacique)
• Valle de Guadalupe wine region (Cacique)
• Pulque, tepache, and Mexican whiskeys (Cacique)
• “Mexican cuisine will be more recognized as complex and layered – rather than always spicy and heavy” (Cacique)
• Chefs embrace regional, indigenous heritage (Cacique) (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Josh Habiger of Bastion and Salil Mehta of Laut Singapura via Food & Wine)
• Grocery store upgrades (Vital Vio)
• Increased automation (Vital Vio)
• Fewer food recalls (Vital Vio)
• Coconut yogurt (U.S. News & World Report)
• “Restaurants will focus more on the experiential side of dining than the products” (Oracle Food and Beverage) (Dave Beran of Dialogue via Food & Wine) (Insider) (Finances Online)
• Personalized guest experience through technology and artificial intelligence (Oracle Food and Beverage) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Souffle pancakes (Yelp)
• Puffed snacks (U.S. News & World Report)
• Cinnamon swirl pancakes (Yelp)
• Floral-infused drinks and dishes (Yelp) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Pineapple buns (Yelp)
• Taiyaki ice cream (Yelp)
• Korean food (Yelp) (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas)
• Fast-casual Chinese chains (James Kelly, Executive Chef of Lupa)
• Fish and seafood (Glenn Rolnick, Director of Culinary Operations at Alicart Restaurant Group (Carmine’s and Virgil’s)
• Koji (Mina Newman, Executive Chef at Sen Sakana)
• Gluten-free (Fortunato Nicotra, Executive Chef of Felidia) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Fancy Food Show) (Finances Online)
• Vegan desserts (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Briant Arciniega, Zuma Las Vegas) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Aged rum (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas)
• Middle Eastern food / Levantine cuisine (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• American-produced cheese (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas)
• Natural wine, organic wine, biodynamic wine (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Insider)
• Family-style tasting menus, family-style dining (Michael Rubinstein, Momofuku Las Vegas) (Kwame Onwuachi of Kith/Kin via Food & Wine)
• Natural disaster food kits (ViewHouse)
• Food entertainment (ViewHouse)
• Regenerative agriculture (Whole Foods) (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• More varieties of flour (Whole Foods) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• West African food (Whole Foods) (Pinterest)
• Single-serving, refrigerated snacks (Whole Foods) (U.S. News & World Report)
• Plant-based alternatives to soy protein (Whole Foods)
• Sophisticated kids’ food (Whole Foods)
• Alternative sweeteners like monk fruit syrup and pomegranate syrup (Whole Foods) (Fancy Food Show) (Food Bev Media)
• Meat-plant blends (Whole Foods) (Briant Arciniega, Zuma Las Vegas) (The Mushroom Council) (Food Bev Media)
• Cool-colored ingredients such as “celtuce, kale hybrids, and komatsuna” or purple “corn, broccoli, kale, snap peas, basil, and potatoes” (Technomic)
• Cheese tea (Technomic)
• Huitlacoche (Technomic)
• “Technically illegal” tonka beans (Technomic)
• CBD (Technomic)
• Sweet limes (Technomic)
• Habanada (Technomic)
• Sichuan bud (Technomic)
• Seaweed and sea beans (Technomic) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Sweet potato leaves (Technomic)
• Beet greens (Technomic)
• Avocado blossoms (Technomic)
• Sustainability (Technomic) (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Samantha Kincaid and Jon Nodler of Cadence and Brady Williams of Canlis via Food & Wine) (Fancy Food Show) (Finances Online)
• More specials and loyalty programs (Technomic) (Finances Online)
• Less expensive restaurants (Technomic)
• Kabocha squash (Briant Arciniega, Zuma Las Vegas)
• Asian foods (Briant Arciniega, Zuma Las Vegas)
• Nutritional yeast (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Ashwagandha (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Collagen peptides (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Uber Eats)
• Fermented foods, kimchi (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Uber Eats) (Fancy Food Show)
• S’chug (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Muhammara (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Local ingredients (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Insider)
• Fusion foods (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Peruvian food (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Gochujang (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants) (Frito-Lay)
• Piri piri (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Espelette (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Hatch chile peppers (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• “Elevated ceviche” (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Lotus, basil, and water lily seeds (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Makrut lime leaves (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Pandan (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Black garlic (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Schmaltz (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Savory desserts (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• “Grown up sundaes” (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Grilled, roasted, and fire-blasted fruits (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Tea-infused spirits (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Bitter vermouth (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• “Aromatic, inedible” cocktail garnish (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Espresso tonic and coffee spritzes (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Spritzes (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Baiju, shōchū, and soju (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Mezcal (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Whiskey highballs (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Sour beers (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Hazy or juicy IPAs (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Low-ABV wine (Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants)
• Apple pie (DoorDash)
• Cream cheese rangoons (DoorDash)
• Molten chocolate cake (DoorDash)
• Hash browns (DoorDash)
• Brussel sprouts (DoorDash) (Uber Eats)
• Tortilla soup (DoorDash)
• DIY pizza and sushi (DoorDash)
• Fried fish sandwiches (DoorDash)
• French toast (DoorDash)
• Broccoli cheddar soup (DoorDash)
• Pesto cavatappi (DoorDash)
• Egg rolls (DoorDash)
• Chicken fajitas (DoorDash)
• Mac and cheese (DoorDash)
• Stuffed jalapeños (DoorDash)
• Starfruit (Uber Eats)
• Squid ink (Uber Eats)
• Reishi (Uber Eats)
• Farro (Uber Eats)
• Harissa (Uber Eats)
• Pho (Uber Eats)
• Bone broth (Uber Eats)
• Chickpea hummus (Uber Eats)
• Cold brew (Uber Eats)
• Udon (Uber Eats)
• Cabbage (Uber Eats)
• Kale (Uber Eats)
• Ginger (Uber Eats)
• Healthier kitchens (Cassidee Dabney of Blackberry Farm via Food & Wine)
• Bread (Angela Pinkerton of Che Fico via Food & Wine)
• Smoke (Thomas Chen of Tuome via Food & Wine)
• Sustainable seafood (Andrew Carmellini of NoHo Hospitality, Hiroki Odo of Odo, and Amy Brandwein of Centrolina and Piccolina via Food & Wine)
• Juice pairings (Justin Cogley of Aubergine via Food & Wine)
• More women in charge (Angela Pinkerton of Che Fico via Food & Wine)
• Simpler plating (Meagan Stout of Noelle via Food & Wine)
• Open-concept kitchens (Insider)
• Superfoods on kids’ menus (Insider)
• Makgeolli (Insider)
• Meal kits (Insider)
• Coconut (Fancy Food Show)
• Malai ice cream (Fancy Food Show)
• Vegetable ice cream (Fancy Food Show)
• Smart kitchens, robots (Parts Town) (Finances Online)
• Voice-command ordering (Parts Town)
• Alcoholic still water (Food Bev Media)
• Flexitarian blends (Food Bev Media)
• Fast-casual (Finances Online)
• Staffing issues (Finances Online)
• Wellness (Finances Online)
• Online ordering (Finances Online)
• Spicy snacks associated with specific peppers (Frito-Lay)
• Tajin (Frito-Lay)
• Booze-flavored snacks (Frito-Lay)
• Tart and citrus-flavored snacks (Frito-Lay)
• Pickle-flavored snacks (Frito-Lay)
• Snacks featuring ingredients with “healing properties” (Frito-Lay)
• Chicken sandwiches (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Alt-wings (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Functional water (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Schnitzel (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Delivery robots (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Reusable containers (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Restaurant lounges (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Smaller portions (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Higher pay and benefits for restaurant workers (Nation’s Restaurant News)
• Prebiotics (U.S. News & World Report)
• “Healthy chocolate mashups” (U.S. News & World Report)
• Potable and single-serving (U.S. News & World Report)
• Low-carb coatings, crumbs, croutons (U.S. News & World Report)
• Protein coffee (U.S. News & World Report)
• Flavored cottage cheese (U.S. News & World Report)
• Lactose-free ice cream (U.S. News & World Report)
• Sea moss (Pinterest)
• Chicory root (Pinterest)
• Cucumber juice (Pinterest)
• Coffee stations (Pinterest)
• Indoor microgreens (Pinterest)
• Homebrewing (Pinterest)
• Homemade baby food (Pinterest)
• Macedonian food (Pinterest)
• Filipino desserts (Pinterest)
• Middle Eastern desserts (Pinterest)
• Kerala breakfast (Pinterest)
• Cakes for dogs (Pinterest)
• Outdoor bars (Pinterest)

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