No one can predict the future with 100% clarity. Still, it doesn’t stop people from trying. Case in point: the annual ritual, observed by food bloggers the world over, of attempting to predict the next year’s big food trends.
What will be the next “bacon in everything,” the next “meal kit subscription,” “cupcake craze of the early 2000s,” or “locavore movement”?
To predict the next big thing in food, you have to look at what’s currently gaining traction – the ideas, ingredients and approaches that are just beginning to pique people’s interest. In this article, let’s explore three safe bets. Here are three food trends you can expect to see take off in 2022.
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The Rise of Fast, Fee-Less Delivery
Throughout 2020 and 2021, delivery food has been a lifeline for many people looking for a safe, contactless way to enjoy dinner. But two years into a global pandemic, people are tired of paying steep delivery and service fees for their food.
Expect to see a rise in fast, fee-less delivery. It’s already gaining momentum in several parts of the US and abroad. In Florida, for instance, getREEF Miami food delivery services are skyrocketing in popularity, leveraging a vast network of neighborhood kitchen hubs to offer free delivery that arrives hot and fresh within a half hour. It’s precisely the kind of development you hope to see in the food delivery industry.
Plant-Based Everything
The Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger are massively popular. But they aren’t self-contained trends. Rather, they demonstrate the increasing willingness of average Americans to try new meat alternatives.
Therefore, expect the plant-based industry to push the boundaries in 2022. You can already find the two companies mentioned above branching out into new foods (plant-based chicken nuggets, for one), but it won’t stop there. Industry observers expect to see new products – like plant-based shrimp, vegan eggs and mushroom-based “chicken” wings – hit the shelves this year.
New Countries to Explore
The food landscape in America is vastly more diverse than, say, 25 years ago. Italian and French restaurants now have to compete alongside Thai food, regional Chinese cuisines like Sichuan food, Latin American fare, and about 100 other global cuisines. And who emerges the winner? All of us.
Still, the west has a few outstanding “blind spots” in its culinary imagination. And 2022 is poised to be the year when some of those blind spots emerge into focus. The Manual predicts a rise in Haitian, Peruvian and Persian cuisines in the coming years. And several outlets predict a rise in African foodways from various diasporic communities.
There are several other trends that could have made this list, but no one’s entirely sure if they’ll pan out (the “cricket flour” trend, for instance). The three trends above are safe bets for 2022 because they have already started taking off. That should come as good news to foodies who want fast, free delivery, new meat alternatives and more global representation on their dinner table!
