Last year I have posted an article about the biggest food trends in 2018 (btw if you want to see what I have predicted, you can find the blog post here). As the article received very good feedback I decided to continue with this trend 🙂
This time though, I have collected the trends which I believe in and like the most. I wanted to give you more of my opinion and ideas and not so much the common knowledge which you can read somewhere else. Hope you will enjoy the reading 🙂
10 biggest food trends in 2019
1. More cooking at home.
This is actually one of my New Year resolutions 🙂 I also want to cook more at home this year 🙂 And why I want to do it?
First of all, I am kind of getting bored of eating overpriced and not tasty dishes in restaurants. The quality and the origin of the ingredients is also doubtful in many of them. As a third problem, I would see the higher prices of processed foods which you can buy in the stores. Here I would put for example all the ready-made pierogis, burgers, pizzas, bread etc.
Yes, it is comfortable to make them (usually you defrost them and then warm them up in a microwave or in the oven) in minutes. Although in my opinion, they have nothing common with the original dishes, just the name. Also, you have to be aware that they are full of crap and chemicals which you do not need (and do not want) to eat at all.
Last but not least, I simply believe that wholesome foods cooked at home are not only healthier but also more delicious. And I know that each of you can make a portion of great food at home too 🙂
2. Fast-casual dining on the rise.
This is a very interesting trend more connected to street food and fast food places. In 2019 there will be many new fast-casual restaurants which will be serving full menus for very affordable prices. The main dish and the glass of wine for 2 people will be 50% cheaper than in a regular high-class restaurant. Therefore this kind of places will get higher attention and popularity.
And how are the fast-casual places different? There is no waitress, no tablecloths, no flowers, no expensive and designer interior pieces, and no reservations.
3. Robots are coming.
Do you remember the movie I,
This era is very close, my friends. 🙂 In a few places around the globe, you can already find bots, which are the only one employee, making full dishes. For example, in France, you can find a three-armed pizzaiolo which can fully make 120 pizzas in 1 hour. In California, a company called ZUME is serving pizzas made by robots only since 2015. In China, you can find the first fully automated restaurants. There are no employees, just robots.
There are also first street food places with robot making burgers all day long 🙂 I think, that this is just a beginning and in 2019 we will see even more places like the ones mentioned above.
4. Marijuana everywhere.
With many countries and cities legalizing marijuana, it was just a question when the big players will step up the game. They have invested huge amounts of money into the marijuana business. Constellation Brands the owner of Corona placed a 4+ billion dollar bet that weed its future, investing in a Canadian marijuana company. Heineken-owned Lagunitas is selling Hi-Fi Hops, beer-flavored sparkling water with a modest dose of THC.
So in 2019 get ready to drink more drinks and to eat more food containing THC. 🙂
5. Meat from the labs.
One of the biggest booms right now is definitely lab-grown meat. Meat which is simply produced cell by cell in a lab and it has never seen a real animal. Just last week I have read 2 articles about this topic. The first one was about lab-grown tuna meat. According to the company which is producing it, the taste is the same as it would be in a regular tuna. This would be perfect to produce high-quality non-animal sushi for example.
The second article was even more extravagant in my opinion. An American company has bought a license from Wagyu farmers in Japan. (Wagyu is the best and most expensive beef meat on our lovely planet). Their goal for the upcoming years is to produce Wagyu meat which will have similar quality than a regular Wagyu beef meat.
I had Wagyu in my life and if this will be possible and the company will really grow a super marbled Wagyu beef, I will never buy a real beef again 🙂
The question at the end is: will this kind of lab-grown meat be OK for all the vegans and vegetarians if it will not come from dead animals? Hmm?
6. Coconut water will have a competition.
Coconut water is very popular among the younger generation and people living a healthy lifestyle. It is very good for keeping us hydrated.
But there is a new trend coming in 2019… It will be all about flavored water with similar qualities as the coconut water has. I am talking here about water with maple (50% less of sugar compared to coconut water), cactus water (perfect for skin revitalization) or water with aloe and honey. So if you like this kind of drinks, the upcoming year will be ideal for you 🙂
7. Jackfruit, the most favourite meat substitute.
Several months ago I was doing a photo session in a VeGaN grocery store. During that session, I was asked if I know jackfruit. My answer was no. I maybe heard the name before but I definitely never tasted it.
Apparently, it is one of the most popular meat substitutes for many vegans and vegetarians. And this trend will continue in 2019 as well. You will see many jackfruit burgers and vegan pulled pork dishes popping up. My prediction is that jackfruit will become the fruit of the year 🙂 And it is definitely something I will try this year 🙂
8. Tropical fruits.
Usually, I am doing my shopping in a bigger supermarket. What always grabs my attention is a huge rack full of tropical fruits. I am not talking about avocados, oranges or pineapple here. I mean fruits like litchi, guava, dragonfruit, starfruit or pitaya. It also makes me wonder about who is buying those crazy looking fruits 🙂
Guess that I have to change my mindset and slowly get used to seeing even more of those in the stores. And why? Because people are bored of eating apples, pears, oranges, and even bananas. In 2019 people will rather buy a tropical fruit to work or school and not an apple.
9. Chinese cuisine refreshment.
If you think that you know all about Chinese food, you are wrong my friends 🙂 It is not only about all kinds of stir-fries or dim sum 🙂 The year 2019 will bring many interesting and new dishes from Szechuan region, Hongkong or Taiwan.
So get ready to see dishes from pigs feet, duck livers and thongs, catfish or frog.
Btw, year 2019 is a “Year of the pig” in Chinese calendar 🙂
10. The “ugly” food will get a lot of attention 🙂
Last year I have spoken about food which has to be “Instagramable”. -Meaning that it has to look nice on the photo and it has to be styled and photographed perfectly. This year though, it will not be valid anymore.
In 2019 you will see more of the imperfect, creepy looking ingredients and dishes everywhere. And why? Because the society has evolved since last year and understood that every (yes, even the carrot with 6 parts growing from one) deserves a chance on our plates and it shouldn’t be thrown away. We all can contribute to less waste and better cleaner environment.
So next time you will cook and some of the ingredients will not be perfect, think twice before you discard it my friends 🙂
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