Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J., released its latest Trendscape report, which outlines the Top 6 trends for 2019.
1. Modern mushrooms
From mushroom/beef burger blends to functional coffee extracts to plant-based jerkies, familiar and unfamiliar mushrooms are popping up in unexpected places this year, inspiring a fresh culinary perspective on the humble fungi family.
Dubbed “the 2019 vegetable of the year,” mushrooms deliver a newfound love for humble supermarket veggies, a rising appreciation for their potential medicinal value and their prized place at the table in trending plant-based and flexitarian diets.
Expect to see mushrooms popping up in unexpected places, like retail snacks and novel “plant-based” snacks, like vegetarian jerky and cracklings. In restaurants, a variety of mushrooms from shitake to enoki to maitake will take center stage on the plate. Expect to see more mushroom powders too, like chaga mushroom powder, showing up at cafés and smoothie bars.
2. North American flavors
Artisan couscous and ras el hanout carrot cupcakes are just a few North African tastes gaining traction on the heels of Moroccan harissa. From its Mediterranean coast to its Middle Eastern borders, the region’s brimming with flavors our chefs are eager to explore.
Harissa, the fiery chili paste from Tunisia, has made its way mainstream, but the region is diverse when it comes to food, and there’s still lots to explore. In general, African ingredients have been trending upward—piri piri, berbere spice, urfa chile, teff and a host of African “superfoods” like baobab and moringa, along with tiger nuts (a resistant starch tuber).
Expect to see more modern interpretations of North African flavors at restaurants, like cauliflower tagines, artisan couscous, spiced tomato sauces, “black” and “rose” harissa and mint tea. Also look for revived interest in flatbreads from the region, French menus with North African influences and a further blurring of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean/North African flavors and ingredients on U.S. menus.
3. All-day dining
Hip and casual all-day cafés are on the rise, shaping the way consumers think about mealtimes with savory bowls for breakfasts, toasts for dinner and mini-meals.
While the all-day café is “changing the way we eat,” mealtimes are blurring and consumers are demanding meals that suit any hour of day and any level of hunger. Enter the all-day café model, which addresses the growing demand for breakfast, brunch, snack time, light dinners, takeout and delivery.
All-day cafes are redefining the restaurant menu, encompassing the many trending dishes that once seemed category-less, such as avocado toast, grain bowls, savory breakfasts and sweet but substantial indulgences. Expect to see “all-day menus” replace “lunch” or dinner” menu headings.
4. Next-level texture
A more complex, layered approach to texture is underway, offering new tastes that go far beyond flavor. Expect to see unique texture combos in snacks and treats, while authentic global eats – from chewy noodles to crunchy rice– inspire savory texture trends too.
Consider trendy foods like bubble teas, seltzer water, spiraled veggies, riced cauliflower and more. Shoppers are seeking out new, multi-dimensional taste experiences.
Expect to see interesting takes on familiar foods, like flaked chocolate (which is popular in Europe), honeycomb (caramel) candy and ice cream novelties, like elastic Turkish ice cream and Thai rolled ice cream, as well as more plays with grains, like popped sorghum. Plus, novel and customized textures via 3-D printing have the potential for real innovation and creative applications in food in the future.
5. Vegetable evolution
The “plant- forward” mindset continues to evolve in the hands of imaginative chefs, and it’s making an impact on the way consumers think about peas and carrots – as well as snacks, center plate and even cocktails.
Mushrooms, beets and dark leafy greens continue showing up on menus in innovative ways, sea veggies are making waves onto the scene, especially in snacks, and lesser-known greens like celtuce are gaining attention too.
When it comes to this trend, expect the unexpected, such as carrot juice in barbecue sauce or in a mimosa, or zucchini in baked goods. Expect to see more experimentation with underutilized veggies, more veggies as the star of the plate and more plant-powered beverages, from grassy and earthy cocktails to innovative drinks.
6. Wellness sips
From turmeric tonic’s sudden popularity to gut-friendly kombucha’s slow rise to the mainstream, buzz continues to build for a myriad of healthful sips packed with fruits, vegetables and functional ingredients.
2019 is all about sophisticated wellness sips gaining mainstream attention. Today’s functional beverages are redefining how convenient drinks can serve individual needs. From fresh juices and smoothies to fermented kombucha and kefir to sippable broths and soups, the beverage category itself is being reimagined.
Kombucha has risen to the mainstream, and continues to evolve. Also, processors are increasingly adding prebiotics and probiotics to ready-to-drink beverages.
