The Happy Eggplant Gourmet Food & Kitchen Shoppe

Our series on food trends for the new year continues with…

 

#1 – Peruvian Food

It’s quite an accomplishment when a relatively small country has three eateries make it onto the World’s 50 Best Restaurants with one of those reaching the Top 5!

But, that’s exactly what Peru did. This small South American country with a population of 31 million people accomplished what many larger countries did not. This indicates that Peruvian cuisine is on the rise.

Ceviche, Lomo Saltado, and Aji de Gallina are just a few of the popular national dishes.

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#2 – Filipino Food

Likewise, Filipino food is gaining traction with the native ube (purple yam) appearing in most of their dishes.

Tacos, burritos, and sandwiches are favored selections of these islands located off the coast of Southeast Asia in the South China Sea.

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#3 – Middle Eastern Spices & Dishes

An introduction to middle eastern cuisine gave us hummus, pita, and falafel, but now consumers are ready to expand their repertoire. This year will see more use of harissa, za’atar, and cardamom to name a few.

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#4 – Homemade Condiments

With more emphasis on healthy eating, people are looking to make their own condiments. Store-bought brands are often full of sodium and sugar

Recipes for condiments are readily available. Some are simple, while others are a bit more involved. One idea is to make a homemade version of those that you use the most.

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#5 – Edible Flowers

A picture is worth a thousand words and Instagram proves it. This photo/video sharing site has many categories…art, architecture, animals, beauty, business, publishing to name a few. And food is a big one. If you’re interested in perusing a few check out HuffPost’s best food Instagram accounts.

Edible flowers make a visually pleasing garnish. Any seasoned chef will agree that presentation is a very important aspect of the trade. Edible flowers are one of many ways to do that and are predicted to rise in popularity. Read more about the 10 best edible flowers from Southern Living.

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