7 food trends to watch (and taste) in 2022, according to experts | Way of life
Just as fashion trends come and go, so do food trends. 2021 has been filled with TikTok food trends like baked feta pasta, nature’s cereal, pesto eggs, and corn baby back ribs. Going forward, 2022 appears to have more than just social media trends in store, we can expect more spice, a focus on food waste, more global flavors, and some epic entertaining ideas.
Here are what experts have judged 7 food trends to come in 2022
1. Nostalgic foods
With chaos in the air (pandemic and all) it can be heartwarming to come back to something familiar. This is why many will seek comfort foods in an effort to feel familiarity and nostalgic longing. It may mean something different for each person, but experts see a lot of apple cobbler in our future.
2. Dining out will be even more of an experience
After having closed their doors for so long, restaurants are trying to make up for lost time. Catering companies report that many restaurants plan to focus on more than just the food on your plate, they will try to create a dining experience. This could mean restaurants that transfer customers to new spaces throughout the meal, different musical tempos to accompany each dish and more.
Watch for themed menus, creative settings, beverage brand partners, branded decors, cooking classes, prix fixe menus, and uber-Instagrammable moments.
3. Take-out and take-out are not going anywhere
What won’t stay in 2021 is the success of the delivery and pick-up options. More than seven in ten Americans now order food directly from restaurants, according to research. And the number of people using third-party delivery apps at least once a week has increased from 15% in July 2020 to over 28% in April 2021.
During the pandemic, restaurants became more creative with their offerings and adopted new technologies to make ordering more transparent for their customers. This created a demand for this restore option, a demand that has not yet disappeared.
The rise in popularity of ghost kitchens and virtual brands, or restaurants that only provide food by delivery and do not have a storefront for customers to visit, is also responsible for this trend.
4. The resurgence of dinner
Rallies without a few weeks of quarantine beforehand were risky in 2020, but with vaccines now available to all Americans five years and older, home rallies are back on the schedule. Friendsgiving and Friendsmas parties helped usher in what we expect to be a big culinary trend in 2022: dinners.
5. Reductiontarism
“Reductarism” describes people who are not quite vegetarians or vegans, but aim to eat less meat, dairy products and eggs, mainly for environmental reasons.
They focus on gradually decreasing the amount of animal products they consume, with some choosing to eliminate them altogether. A good example is someone who orders an oat milk latte instead of a cow’s milk latte.
This trend will be facilitated by the growing number of vegetarian and vegan options. Now people can find vegan lasagna, Mexican food, soul food, “cheese steaks”, “chicken nuggets” and more.
6. Spice up your life
Spices and peppers of all kinds will be popular in 2022. What started as a growing love for Sriracha, has grown into a love of all kinds of spicy condiments. In 2021, the most popular trend of this genre was crispy chili—Oil infused with crunchy pieces of peppers, onions or green onions, garlic and other herbs.
We’re expected to continue to see fiery global condiments such as gochujang, harissa, schug, and sambal, ranging from scrambled eggs to sandwiches.
7. Cooking without borders
We are starting to see a wave of new multiethnic and “borderless†cuisines that embrace the unique identity of a person, Métis parents or reflect the diverse cultural influences of a given region. Examples of restaurants:
- La Chinesca in Philadelphia, which blends the global influences of the Baja region of northern Mexico with Sino-American flavors
- Kimika in New York City, which mixes Japanese and Italian cuisines in dishes like crispy rice cake lasagna with sweet Italian sausage, spicy cabbage, green onions and provolone
- Brasserie Armitage in Chicago, which offers British pub fare (steak and beer pie, fish and chips) alongside Indian favorites (aloo chana, garlic naan), as well as American classics (strip loin steak dry aged New Yorker, chopped quarter salad)
Whether we like it or not, COVID and 2021 have left lasting traces on us all. They will forever be present in our minds and now in our kitchen and our plates. In your home, in a restaurant, or across the globe, these culinary trends are set to make 2022 one of the most delicious and diverse years to date.
Put your appetite!