Which trends are going to really take hold in foodservice in 2023? In this blog, our corporate executive chef, Howard Cantor, provides his perspectives on up-and-coming culinary trends!
2023 is sure to be a year full of exploration into new flavors, new categories, and new regulatory issues. When it comes to flavor, the world is your oyster so to speak, but we are going to focus on a few things we see coming in hot for 2023.
Now that’s “Swicy”! Swicy, short for sweet and spicy, is nothing new to food or flavors but it’s set to explode onto the shelves across many categories. From the familiar hot honey to the newer dark chocolate chili candy bars to cinnamon red-hot cereal, swicy foods are showing up everywhere, and we don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.
Not yesterday’s mocktail. The mocktail, a newer term for an old drink. When we think mocktails, we generally think of a higher end restaurant or craft bar where bougie drinks are being made but the mocktail includes old stalwarts like a Shirley Temple, a virgin daquiri and the guiltless margarita. Today, restaurants like NOMA, Alinea, and Geranium are offering non-alcoholic pairings with their 14-19 course menus and charging wine pairing prices. We’ve moved well beyond an alcohol-free Cosmo; today’s mocktails are complex, they touch on all of our senses and often attack the pallet. Whether it’s a botanical water, an herb and acid spiked juice cocktail or a home brewed kombucha, nothing is off limits.
Ube, Ube, Ube. Ube, a purple yam from the Philippines, has a warm, light vanilla and slightly bland flavor profile. Lately it’s been showing up in specialty stores in the form of ice creams and in baked goods; with its slightly sweet profile, it easily lends itself to both sweet and savory flavors across all kinds of cuisines. I LOVE the Ube ice cream from a certain grocer; it makes an amazing shake mixed with coconut milk, brown sugar, and blueberries.
Butter Boards. I know, I know… it’s crazy to put this out there but they are popping up everywhere in all manner of presentation and flavors, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. Sweet butters, herb and floral butters with honeys and syrups, salty butters with exotic toppings, combos and mash ups….and they are all beautifully presented. Many chefs see butters boards, and they immediately go to compound butters and maitre d’ butters but these are another step beyond that. Flowers, crispy chicken skins, heirloom chilis… the list of toppings and inclusions is endless which makes this such a fun trend to follow.
Going global. Cultural experiences are always in the window of culinary trends, and this upcoming year will be no different. We are seeing 2023 as the year of a French Revolution, maybe even a rebirth of sorts. This rebirth is shaping up to be in the way of an approachable French cuisine, something that is steps away from fine dining, using those classic techniques and the ideas that inspire fine dining but with a personalized approach that makes it easy to prepare. Along with the rebirth of French cuisine, we are loving the mashups that are coming back around: French/Asian, whether Japanese, Thai or Vietnamese all of them are being blended into the traditions of the classics.
Ready to prioritize flavor innovation in 2023? We’ve got you covered! Contact us today to see how Fuchs can help you make something special.
For more information about Fuchs North America's products and programs that support food manufacturers in their product development needs, please