WASHINGTON — An annual survey of chef’s by the National Restaurant Association points to what consumers will see more of, and less of, on restaurant menus in the new year.
The District-based association surveyed about 1,300 chefs who are members of the American Culinary Federation, and found that menu trends heating up in 2017 include new cuts of meat, poke, house-made charcuterie, street food, food halls and ramen.
Trends that are falling out of favor include quinoa, black rice plus vegetarian and vegan cuisines.
“We’re seeing several examples of house-made food items and various global flavors, indicating that chefs and restaurateurs are further experimenting with from-scratch preparation and a broad base of flavors,” says Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association.
“Menu trends today are beginning to shift from ingredient-based items to concept-based ideas,” he said.
Here are 2017’s Top 20 Food Trends, according to the National Restaurant Association’s chef survey:
- New cuts of meat (e.g. shoulder tender, oyster steak, Vegas strip steak, merlot cut)
- Street food-inspired dishes (e.g. tempura, kebabs, dumplings, pupusas)
- Healthful kids’ meals
- House-made charcuterie
- Sustainable seafood
- Ethnic-inspired breakfast items (e.g., chorizo scrambled eggs, coconut milk pancakes)
- House-made condiments
- Authentic ethnic cuisine
- Heirloom fruit and vegetables
- African flavors
- Ethnic spices (e.g. harissa, curry, peri peri, ras el hanout, shichimi)
- House-made sausage
- House-made pickles
- Ancient grains (e.g. kamut, spelt, amaranth, lupine)
- House-made/artisan ice cream
- Whole grain items in kids’ meals
- Protein-rich grains/seeds (e.g., hemp, chia, quinoa, flax)
- Artisan cheeses
- Savory desserts
- Gourmet items in kids’ meals
And here are what the association calls the Top 10 Concept Trends for 2017:
- Hyperlocal sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens, on-site beer brewing, house-made items)
- Chef-driven, fast-casual concepts
- Natural ingredients/clean menus
- Environmental sustainability
- Locally sourced produce
- Locally sourced meat and seafood
- Food waste reduction
- Meal kits (e.g. pre-measured/prepped raw ingredients for home preparation)
- Simplicity/back to basics
- Nutrition
