“PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO EAT ARE ALWAYS THE BEST PEOPLE!” BY JULIA CHILD
I found the quote from the charmingly quirky TV chef so delightful that I really wanted to open a blog article with it. Et voilà – opened! And I think most “food affine” people will be completely d’accord with that statement. So I’m definitely team “Love to Eat” – anything to do with food I find not only wonderfully delicious, but also super interesting. Especially when it comes to food news, exciting advancements or generally trendy eating habits. That’s why I find it exciting every year to see how our approach to food is changing and which “epicurean values” we are increasingly focusing on. To this end, the Zukunftsinstitut publishes an annual food trend map that provides us with information about certain developments.
And from this illustration, I’ve picked out the top 5 trends – it has to be said, these have also become brutally important to me personally in recent years. On your fork, get set, go:
01 // REGIONALITY #SUPPORTYOURLOCALS
For me personally, probably the greatest & most beautiful trend – a great answer to globalization. Gourmets are increasingly focusing their attention on food & products that are grown or processed in their own country. Regional markets are also experiencing a great upswing. Due to the short transport routes, local food offers a number of advantages, such as the perfect time of ripeness, freshness, and aroma, one contributes positively to climate protection, supports local agriculture, etc. All in all, it is not only good for the taste but also great for your conscience. Besides, visiting the market, in general, is already a great experience – it smells good, there are so many different impressions, and and and. I’m definitely a fan of it. Now that the topics of regionality & production are gaining more traction, restaurants & hotels are also jumping on this bandwagon. Great food concepts with local suppliers are being created or old, traditional dishes are being reinterpreted. Top!
02 // COOKING PLEASURE AT HOME – BETWEEN GARDENING & EXPERIMENTING
If the current times have taught us anything, it’s that you can have a good time at home – buy local and then take the time to try out new dishes. Times of crisis always inspire trends and developments. Baking banana bread, growing your own sourdough, growing herbs and vegetables in a raised bed, and many other “experiments” made it onto our everyday to-do list. One has also again increasingly dedicated to the topic of shelf life, preserving & fermenting finds itself in a newly appreciated renaissance. In the end, once you’ve successfully completed your cooking or baking project, you experience a big dose of satisfaction, you share it with friends and you’re just proud of your homemade creation. Unless it didn’t quite work out, in which case you simply have to do it again. Practice makes perfect ????
There will also be a blog article soon about my kombucha self-experiment – I’m already excited myself. Stay tuned!
03 // FOOD AS AN EXPERIENCE #MEETFOOD
The topic of food is becoming increasingly tangible. Sweet delicatessens, wine stores, DIY boxes with detailed instructions, virtual cooking and baking courses, and joint tastings are becoming increasingly popular. This gives people the opportunity to gain a particularly intensive insight into processing or production and to become part of the action. It also definitely increases the connection to products and companies.
04 // SUGAR-FREE & LOW-ALCOHOL
New trends are also developing off the plate – a la Liquide Evolution. Here, a lot is happening right now in the area of alcohol-free offerings – which are being massively increased. The desire for healthy & alcohol-free beverages is growing, but you don’t want to give up taste & enjoyment. Lemonades with natural ingredients, alcohol-free beer, or low-alcohol wine enjoy great popularity. In this area, there is also a lot of experimentation with fermentation – here we are again at Kombucha ????
05 // SNACKIFICATION
This trend says that the classic meals, such as breakfast, lunch & dinner, are now a thing of the past. People no longer want to cling to fixed “meal times”, but instead want to be more flexible and willing to experiment. Therefore, depending on hunger and opportunity, we reach for somewhat smaller meals – colorful bowls, healthy fast food variants & Co. are now more popular than lavish midday meals. A wonderful remedy for the afternoon slump in the office.
Wow-what wonderful trends. I’m really super happy that the topic of food in society is experiencing a step more in the direction of “value”. By that I don’t just mean the increased importance of origin, production & quality, but that we also deal with food a bit more carefully – keyword zero waste. Appreciation & respect is not only required in human relationships but also in relation to food & enjoyment a key factor!
And that is beautiful! I like.
