Consumer interest in authentic global flavors is expected to remain strong in 2023, with some new wrinkles from innovative chefs and brands, according to a Food Institute webinar on Tuesday.
Among those trends is what Robyn Carter, CEO of consulting firm Jump Rope Innovation, described as “new nostalgia.” This trend includes foods that may be nostalgic to some people who grew up in other cultures but are new to consumers in the U.S.
She cited as an example the CPG brand Yolélé, which makes chips and other products using fonio, a grain that the co-founder, chef Pierre Thiam, grew up eating in his native Senegal. The company seeks to support small West African farmers with the product, Carter said, while calling attention to the grain’s potential as a sustainable ingredient.
Other brands taking global flavors and incorporating them into familiar American dishes include Yishi, which makes oatmeal using Chinese flavors that founder Lin Jiang grew up eating in her mother’s porridge recipes.
“I think we are going to see a lot more of these versions of nostalgia coming to light as we go through uncertain times, and as we become more poly-cultural,” said Carter.
Another trend Carter sees in the year ahead is consumers’ desire to make more sophisticated meals at home, which are often globally inspired dishes they have seen at restaurants or on social media. This creates opportunities for products such as spice blends and sauces that can help home cooks create these types of meals.
Omsom, a maker of sauces that can be used to create several Asian dishes at home, fits the “new nostalgia” trend, she said, but also exemplifies this “chefmanship at home” trend.
“We are going to see consumers needing more help in making some of these more sophisticated meals,” Carter said.
Solomon Choi, founder of self-serve frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles and the founder of investment and consulting firm Jabba Brands, also cited the growing Asian influence on foods as a trend for the year ahead.
This trend is being reflected both in CPG categories and in foodservice, he said. He cited as an example restaurant concepts such as Saigon Hustle, a Vietnamese restaurant that won a Million Dollar Challenge competition sponsored by investment firm Savory Restaurant Fund, and Cup Up, a Korean barbecue concept that won an investment from Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban.
“I think there are going to be more and more of these hyper-local concepts that are done in a meaningful and interesting way,” he said.
Other examples of emerging Asian foodservice concepts include Mochinut, a Japanese-style donut shop; Jollibee, the Philippines-based fried chicken chain that is growing rapidly in the U.S.; Bonchon Chicken, a chain specializing in South Korean-style fried chicken, as well as several concepts in the fast-growing bubble tea niche.
“I think you are going to start seeing a lot of this crossover, with something that was seen as American, such as fried chicken, being influenced with ethnic Asian flavors,” said Choi. “Even South Korean fried chicken is starting to become its own sub-category within fried chicken.”
On the CPG side, he cited brands such as Sanzo, which makes Asian-flavored seltzers, as well as Lunar and Nectar, two brands that make Asian-flavored hard seltzers. Other brands capitalizing on Asian flavors include Nguyen Coffee Supply, which specializes in Vietnamese Robusta coffee.
“I think we’ll see more of these in 2023,” Choi said.
Consumers will be looking to restaurants for innovative new experiences—on the menu or otherwise—in 2023, said Mike Kostyo, trendologist at Datassential.
“They really want to see new and exciting things from the food industry in the year ahead,” he said. “They love chef-created foods, variety, and global foods.”
Kostyo also detailed some research showing that both foodservice operators and consumers were optimistic about the year ahead, despite the challenges posed by inflation and a potentially weakening economy. Inflation remains far and away operators’ top concern for 2023, cited by 87 percent of foodservice professionals surveyed by Datassential.
The company, in partnership with the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association, is projecting a soft performance for most segments of the foodservice industry in the year ahead, with fine dining eking out some gains as higher-end consumers remain largely insulated from inflation and a weak economy. Most growth in the industry will be driven by inflation, Kostyo said.
Other trends cited by the panel included:
• Ghost kitchens and virtual brands will remain popular in 2023, as consumers cling to the habit of delivery and welcome delivery-only restaurants as long that food tastes good and is safe to eat, Kostyo said. Along those lines, Choi predicted more crossover into the bricks-and-mortar world for some virtual concepts, such as the recent New Jersey restaurant opening for the virtual brand MrBeast Burger, and his line of Feastables chocolate bars sold in brick-and-mortar stores.
“We are at this interesting intersection, where creators are going offline, and the same time restaurants are going online, and the two worlds also colliding,” said Choi.
• “Self-help” foods that consumers can ingest to manage their moods will gain traction, said Carter, as people increasingly shun potentially harmful mood-altering options such as drinking alcohol or overeating. Instead, they will turn to products containing adaptogens, such as mushrooms, for example, or others that help reduce anxiety, promote better sleep, or enhance focus. These ingredients have often been appearing in beverages, but look for them increasingly in snack foods in 2023, Carter added.
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