Here are the hot food trends that defined 2012 and are projected for 2013:
Top recipe searches in 2012
1. Chicken
2. Crockpot
3. Halloween
4. Vegetarian
5. Salmon
6. Beef stew
7. Zucchini
8. Eggplant
9. Cake
10. Shrimp
Most Appetizing Yet Stomach-turning searches in 2012
1. Candy Corn Oreos
2. Pork doughnuts
3. Bacon ice cream
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4. Flamin' Hot Cheetos
5. Deep-fried strawberries
6. Beer milkshake
7. Fried Kool-Aid
8. Guinness cupcakes
9. Maple bacon beer
10. Grape jelly meatballs
What's Hot for Chefs in 2013
1. Locally sourced meats and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Healthful kids' meals
4. Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme
5. Children's nutrition as a culinary theme
6. New cuts of meat (Denver steak, pork flat-iron)
7. Hyper-local sourcing (ie. Restaurant gardens)
8. Gluten-free cuisine
9. Sustainable seafood
10. Whole-grain items in kids' meals
WHAT'S HOT FOR BARTENDERS in 2013
1. On-site barrel-aged drinks
2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings
3. Culinary cocktails (savory, fresh ingredients)
4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor
5. Locally produced spirits
6. Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce
7. Beer sommeliers/cicerones
8. Regional signature cocktails
9. Beer-based cocktails
10. Locally produced beer
BUZZWORDS FOR 2013
• More chicken (often upscaled), less beef
• Menu shuffling aimed at flexitarians
• Fermented everything
• Doughnuts get bizarre upscaling (foie gras jelly doughnuts, hamburgers between two griddle doughnuts, kimchee doughnuts)
• Zip-code honeys
• Craft bourbon, small-batch rye, local gins
• Asian flavorings: (togarashi, yuzukoshi, gochujang)
Source: Yahoo Source: Yahoo Source: National Restaurant Association Source: National Restaurant Association Source: Baum + Whiteman, an international food and restaurant consulting firm