The top dining trends forecast for 2023

2023-02-09 - By Jennifer Sheehan

With crispy chicken sandwiches and “flavor tourism,” 2023 is looking like it’s going to be delicious.

The 17th annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast from the National Restaurant Association is out, based on a survey of more than 500 American Culinary Federation chefs and professionals, who weighed in on what they see as menu trends this year.

Here’s how that will translate into what we’ll see in restaurants and a breakdown of some other trends we’re likely to see, according to the forecast:

Overall Inflation an ingredient:

Continuing inflation is having an impact on the way we dine, the survey found. Customers are searching for more value when they eat out, including family bundles and meal deals.

Lunch break? Maybe not:

Remote work has profoundly disrupted the idea of scheduled meal breaks. “Traditional meal periods are blurring thanks to the combination of access to menu options all hours of the day and consumers with very flexible schedules,” the forecast says.

Hungry for company:

According to the survey, more than 70% said customers want to gather on-premises to dine.

Being kind to Mother Earth:

Restaurant owners know their customers care about the environment and will continue to adjust accordingly,

looking at options in green packaging for meals, sustainable farming and reducing food waste.

Top trends by category

Looking at each meal and category, the forecast lists

three top trends:

Breakfast: Value meals; unique handhelds (French toast sticks, chicken and waffle sandwiches, etc.); veggie-forward breakfasts (vegan tofu scramble, breakfast relleno, etc.)

Lunch: Chicken sandwiches

(especially with spicy and sweet-heat flavors); fried chicken sandwiches; flatbread sandwiches and healthier wraps

Dinner: Less-expensive meat cuts (chicken thighs, beef chuck, pork shoulder, etc.); cauliflower carb alternatives (rice, pizza crust, etc.); meal kits/family meals

Appetizers and sides:

Charcuterie boards, cauliflower, elote (Mexican street corn)

Snacks: Elevated bar snacks, next-level loaded fries (featuring ghost peppers or hot honey sauce, for example); reduced-sugar snacks

Desserts: Alternative sweeteners (maple sugar, coconut sugar, etc.); revamped classics (moon pies, house-made oatmeal cream pies, deconstructed s’mores, etc.) and desserts using CBD.

Beverage trends

According to the forecast, plant-based milks will continue to be popular, particularly those made from nuts, oats and seeds. Customers like the flavor and texture of these milks plus most have reduced calories, fat and carbs.

Cold brew coffees as well as nonalcoholic seltzers and sparkling waters are also again popular with consumers.

As for alcoholic drinks, spicy cocktails, espresso martinis and spritzers that taste delicious and photograph well are all on the trends list.

Tastebud travel

Social media has helped spotlight global flavors and cuisines, making them more popular than ever.

Condiments, sauces, spices and seasonings:

Sriracha variations; ganjang (Korean soy sauce); and guajillo chili sauce.

Overall global cuisine trends:

Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, Singaporean,

Philippine, etc.); Caribbean (Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, etc.) and South American (Argentinian, Brazilian, Chilean, etc.)

Ones to watch

Along with the trends for ’23, the forecast has a list of “ones to watch” that are likely to take off in popularity as the year goes on:

1. Globally inspired sandwiches (Chinese rou jia mo or jianbing, Argentine choripan, etc.)

2. New sandwich carriers (paratha, roti, pastry buns, crepes, etc.)

3. Amazake (Japanese

drink made from fermented rice)

4. Alfajor (sweet made of almond paste, nuts, bread crumbs and honey)

5. Balkan (Croatian, Bulgarian, Turkish, etc.)

6. Raki (Turkish alcohol made of twice-distilled grapes and anise)

7. Automation technology (monitoring volume, temperature and time)

8. Hawaiian haupia (coconut pudding)

9. Huacatay (Peruvian black mint sauce)

10. Elevated breakfast bowls (breakfast rice bowls, breakfast pasta bowls, etc.)

?? APRIL GAMIZ/THE MORNING CALL ?? The 17th annual “What’s Hot Culinary Forecast” from the National Restaurant Association is out, based on a survey of more than 500 American Culinary Federation chefs and professionals, who weighed in on what they see as menu trends this year. On the list: Fried chicken sandwiches, like this one from The Bayou in Bethlehem. — APRIL GAMIZ/THE MORNING CALL The 17th annual “What’s Hot Culinary Forecast” from the National Restaurant Association is out, based on a survey of more than 500 American Culinary Federation chefs and professionals, who weighed in on what they see as menu trends this year. On the list: Fried chicken sandwiches, like this one from The Bayou in Bethlehem.

?? COURTESY PHOTOS ?? Raki made the list of ones to watch on this year’s What’s Hot Culinary Forecast from the National Restaurant Association. Raki is the national drink of Turkey and made from twicedistilled grapes. — COURTESY PHOTOS Raki made the list of ones to watch on this year’s What’s Hot Culinary Forecast from the National Restaurant Association. Raki is the national drink of Turkey and made from twicedistilled grapes.

?? ?? Elote — or Mexican street corn — is likely to be popping up on more restaurant menus this year, according to the 2023 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast from the National Restaurant Association. — Elote — or Mexican street corn — is likely to be popping up on more restaurant menus this year, according to the 2023 What’s Hot Culinary Forecast from the National Restaurant Association.