Food Manufacturer & Restaurant Industry Food Trends 2026-2027
Food Trends
Over-Arching Themes
- Younger Generations Place Greater Emphasis on Value, Not Simply Price
- Shareables and Small Plates Rule The Landscape
- Clean and Simple Labels
- Fermented Flavors Everywhere
- Embracing Childhood Foods and Flavors
- Gluten Free Is Still Kicking
- Plant Based Proteins Demands Have Dramatically Declined
- Direct To Consumer Continues to Flourish
- 1990’s and 2000’s Ingredients Have Reemerged
- Authenticity Is King
- Delivery Is Here to Stay
- Sustainability / “Good For Us”
- Loss of Labor Force and Corresponding Inflation Are Big Hurdles
- Although Protein Content is Important, Keto Has Peaked
- “All Natural” Has Never Been More In Mainstream Demand
Menu Items/Styles:
- Revitalized and Reimagined Caesar Salads
- Fermented, Fermented, and More Fermented
- Chili Crunch and Chili Oils Are Everywhere
- Mushrooms and Truffles
- Focaccia, Goat Cheese, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes are Back
- Dip-able, Dunk-able, and Interactive Foods Like Birria Remain Strong
- Hot Honey and Sweet & Spicy In General Remains…..Well, Hot
- Black Garlic is No Longer Just Niche
- Aji Amarillo, Huancaina, Tiradtitos, And All Things Peruvian
- Zero Proof Drinks and Cocktails Rule the Beverage Landscape
- Yuzu is Mainstream Citrus
- Spicy, Toasted, and Charred Are Still “In”
- Comfort Foods are being Discovered and Re-Discovered
- Noodle Soups from All over Asia Are Still Growing
- Cabbages, Broccoli, and all Cruciferous Vegetables Continue to Dominate
- Roasted Carrots and Root Vegetables Make a Comeback
- French Onion Outside of Just Soup
Cuisines:
- Northern Mediterranean Cuisines are Revitalized
- Indian Flavors Have Continued to Expand
- Regionalized Mexican Flavors Have Emerged
- Korean Flavors Are Still Growing (Somehow)
- The American Diner Classics and Comfort Foods are Back
- Peruvian Flavors are Growing Steadily
- “New” Caribbean Flavors From Haiti
- Thai and Vietnamese Both Surge Again
On the Sweet Side:
- Botanicals and Herbs
- Shareable Desserts and Boards
- Sweet and Spicy Equal Salty and Sweet in Craveability
- Old Classic Desserts are Reimagined
- Coffee and Tea Infused
- Earl Grey
- Passionfruit Is New Again
- Caramel in All Forms and Varieties
- Pepitas
- Sesame Seeds and Tahini
