WASHINGTON Sustainability and locally grown and sourced ingredients topped the list of the hottest menu trends for 2010, according to data collected by the National Restaurant Association.
The NRA surveyed 1,854 members of the American Culinary Federation in October and asked them to rate 214 food and beverage items, preparation methods, and culinary themes as a hot trend, yesterday's news or a perennial favorite. The results of the survey were released Tuesday.
Click here to see the top 20 trends for next year.
Of the top 10 trends for next year, half fell into the sustainable, eco-friendly or organic categories. The NRA said environmentally friendly practices and local sourcing -- whether they were applied to produce, meat, seafood or alcohol -- appealed to both restaurant operators and their customers for several reasons, including freshness, minimal transportation and the subsequent ability to support local communities and businesses.
“The top trends this year -- local sourcing, sustainability and nutrition -- reflect wider societal trends and consumers growing interest in these issues,” said Dawn Sweeney, the NRA’s president and chief executive. “Many restaurants are sourcing some of their ingredients locally, and you often see chefs shopping at farmer’s markets to create a host of better-for-you options that today’s diners want.”
ACF president Michael Ty also noted that the increased interest in local sourcing is a throwback to times past.
“This is retro,” he said. “It’s what we did in the past when chefs relied on local markets because we did not have the luxury of today’s transportation system. We are going back to our roots and the foundation of our craft that made it more pleasurable.”
With more cities enacting menu-labeling laws, nutrition also is expected to be a big theme next year, according to the survey. Smaller portions and nutritionally balanced children's dishes both ranked high in the top trends list.
Survey results were also broken into categories. Top appetizer trends included amuse-bouche items and mini-burgers. Main dish trends include locally sourced meat, half portions and sustainable seafood, while quinoa and braised vegetables topped the list for side items/starches. Dessert trends include bite-sized desserts and artisan or house-made ice cream.
In the culinary preparation techniques category, liquid nitrogen freezing/chilling was ranked as the No. 1 trend, followed by braising, sous vide, smoking and oil-poaching/confit.
The surveyed chefs also said the top trend in restaurant kitchens next year would be environmentally friendly equipment and practices.
Click here to read the full report.
Contact Elissa Elan at [email protected].