In 2021 we predicted social media would continue to drive consumer food trends and 2022 did not disappoint even if the food did.
2022 saw grazing tables replaced with butter boards and then fairly quickly after, dip boards or as food Stylist Fiona Hugues describes as “poor sods half arsedly smearing stuff all over cruddy boards and the inevitable cracks filled with rancid buttery business from its feral predecessor.”
Bored with boards you may have been caught up in the Air fryer craze that had every Tik Toker showing you how to cook once deep-fried packaged food in a small oven on your bench top. If we look to kitchen appliance manufacturers the Air Fryer is set to be the big wave, for like the microwave which started as a new fangled machine we all needed to have lessons to learn to cook in (I can still remember my Mum coming home from said lessons back in the early 80s as proud as punch with her rubbery chocolate cake), oven manufacturers are building in air fry technology in their ovens.
This brings me to a “trend” being touted for 2023 – steaming. Call me cynical but I believe this one may have been fed by oven manufacturers who have been trying to convince us to buy ovens with a steam option in them for over a decade. Or perhaps it’s a response to the overindulgence of packaged food cooked in air fryers. Either way for steaming to really take off in 2023 Mrs Miele and Mr Fisher & Paykel are going to need to pay some tik tok influencers.
Predictions for 2022 focused on the rise of meat alternatives and the growth of veganism. While these themes remain relevant in 2023 the overarching message is sustainability.
We’ve seen zucchini noodles and cauliflower rice in 2023 expect to see the vegan train take on carbohydrates with the rise of vegetable-based pastas. Austrian researcher Hanni Rützler describes this in her Food Report 2023 as the rise of “veganizing” recipes.
The focus is turning from the black and white view that meat is environmentally unsustainable to an look at all food production and its environmental impact. In doing this the conversation is turning to reducing waste and in 2023 this is going to be huge. We have already seen in NZ businesses built around taking waste products and turning these into tasty treats. In 2023 watch your social feed be filled with ways to take your home-made milk alternative waste (i.e., nut and oat pulp) into breads, crackers and cakes.
With the environment top of mind expect to see more and more products hitting the supermarket shelves with “just add water”. Like the revolution in the toiletry and home cleaning market, manufacturers are discovering if they remove, or simply don’t add water at their end they can reduce packaging and thus their environmental impact, something high on many consumers priority list.
Having lived through a global pandemic and much of the world being impacted by the war in Ukraine Rützler also believes 2023 will see the rise of new glocal, or the current shift in global food trade towards regional agricultural structures, shorter and more transparent supply chains and a focus on domestic markets.
Add to this she says organic is no longer the catch cry instead it is all about regenerative food – this is food that comes from sustainable agriculture, with a focus on biodiversity and soil regeneration.
2022 saw the rise on nonalcoholic drinks and while this market remains a growth one the alcohol industry is not lying down with the rise of boutique distillers and crafty ways to make cocktails, from opening a can to bespoke kits.
International flavours will be big in 2023. The appetite for travel us back and many countries are capitalizing on this with their cuisine front and centre. If you can’t travel the world expect to see more regional food be highlighted, i.e not Malaysian but Penang Street Food. This comes just as New Zealand cuisine begins to develop its own voice in the foodscape. Food writer Lauraine Jacobs says “In 2022 I loved the emergence of Māori voices in our food story (foodwriting.) Christall Lowe and Naomi Toilalo’s stars ascended, and I hear there are more to come.”
There is no doubt worldwide high inflation is going to have a huge impact on food trends in 2023, how we can only wait and see.
Foods to look out for in 2023
Yaupon
Yaupon holly is an evergreen tree from North America. While the berries are extremely toxic, the leaves of the plant contain the same antioxidant properties of blueberries and are the only natural occurrence of caffeine in North America. Those leaves can be turned into powder, matcha, extract, and tea. Expect it to pop up in health food stores first and perhaps a few bars as mixologists play around with its flavour in cocktails.
Kelp
Recognized as a sustainable superfood, it’s no surprise that kelp is rapidly becoming a popular snack and ingredient and is becoming a must-have flavor in many households along with increasingly used by food manufacturers. Researchers say that kelp, in its original form, can absorb carbon in the atmosphere. As countries try to work together to combat climate change, kelp farming can help these efforts.
Hayley Fraser-Mackenzie from Kiwi Harvest says, “we are seeing demand for kelp grow in Australia and New Zealand as we work to make it easier to add a little seaweed into everyday meals.” Hayley says this “growth is across the board, from our direct-to-consumer sales, health stores, food and cosmetic manufacturers as well as food service/hospitality.”
Kelp has a rich concentration of iodine (as well as a range of other micro-nutrients) which makes it a wonderful natural supplement. It has a delicious umami flavour along with a natural saltiness, making it a great lower-sodium, more nutrient dense alternative to regular table salt. Hayley says it also has naturally tenderising properties, “it makes an amazing rub as it has enzymes which soften cell walls and naturally facilitate digestion.”
Tamarind
Its global roots are giving it mass appeal. Tamarind is a culture-spanning ingredient that, while native to Africa, is popular in multiple cuisines, including Mexican, Indian and Southeast Asian. The mouth-puckery fruit is often sold as pods or a paste in various sweet-sour-tangy-tart formulations. In NZ Jenny’s Tamarind Chutney is a must try as an introduction to this beautiful root.
In the U.S. Tamarind is gaining popularity in sweets, snacks and beverages because Gen-Z’ers just so happen to have a penchant for big, bold, unique flavors, especially ones that are international. Tangy Tamarind Doritos’ launched in summer 2022 marked the first tamarind-flavored salty snack by a major US snack brand. To experiment with Tamarind, you can find the pulp in many Asian supermarkets.
Dates
Often referred to as “nature’s candy” is having a major renaissance as a sweetener—not only for at-home bakers, but also in the form of pastes and syrups, and hidden in everything from ketchup to overnight oats.
Avocado oil
Avocado’s hype has turned to its oil. With its high oleic fatty acid content, a high smoke point and creamy flavour it is beginning to take the place of other oils like canola and safflower oil in snacks and mayonnaise. NZ has some great producers of avocado oil, so this summer get a head of the trend and start using it on the BBQ, in salad dressings or use as a dip with dukkah.
Hospo Trends
A British survey by Bidfood found 45% of consumers consider eating out a “fundamental activity” in their lives. And around 2 in 3 UK adults (64%) said despite the cost-of-living crisis, they would find it difficult to stop eating and drinking out.
Eateries are going to have to be smarter though with menus as they grapple with rising costs. Expect to see more grains on the menu. Grain and grain products’ high-profit margin and adaptability make them menu all-stars. And for gluten free guests this will mean the likes of millet and teff.
Pickled and fermented foods continue to explode in popularity. In 2023 they will move from toppings and condiments to drinks, desserts, and entrées. Yelp’s 2023 Food Trends reports searches for pickle-flavored foods were up 55% in 2022.5
The biggest hurdle the industry faces is staff shortages, so this is going to see more and more embrace technology, be it fully automated booking systems to ordering via your phone when sitting at the table. Technology is also going to become more of a key player in the back end of eateries from accurate menu costings, stock control to predicting customers’ needs.
Staff shortages are also going to transform the traditional model for hospitality where the longer the hours you are open the more money you can make. Instead, smart operators are trimming hours and funneling their quality customers into shorter periods where they can offer an experience as well as a great meal, all while allowing staff and owners to have more of a work life balance.
The squeeze on profits through rising costs will see eateries re consider third party delivery companies and the huge portion they clip. Dinners, who got used to it during lockdowns, are still hungry to have restaurant food at home understand the inequality of these third-party relationships so it will be up to eateries to offer incentives and ways for people to pick up with ease.
A recent study by Statista in the UK found that 59% of customers, on average, would be willing to spend more money on food services if they could purchase online but collect the order in the establishment instead of having it delivered. The added benefit for eateries is they can control the whole experience, collect customer data and feedback.
In 2023 expect to see more and more collaborations as eateries try to reach new audiences in a low-cost way. In the same vein cross promotions which were used during the pandemic proved effective and so will be used more and more often as they allow brands to cost-effectively reach new and relevant audiences.
Pop ups and host kitchens are another way for brands to keep relevant, give back and create an experience all while finding new ways to make money.
General food trends are always lead or echoed in hospitality and the rise of plant-based options and possibly more importantly sustainable and traceable food will become more and more important on the menu in 2023.
