International flavors are what’s hot all across the country on every menu you see. African flavors are perhaps the most popular of them all, with Middle Eastern flavors following closely behind.
When surveyed, professional chefs stated that African, Latin American, Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean flavors were the biggest influences for menus this year. It’s not just about fusing them with familiar cuisine either. Culinary experts are delving deep into the authenticity of each cuisine, using traditional methods to produce the true ethnic flavor. Both fusing cuisines together and creating authentic dishes from each culture are indeed hot food trends right now.
Most of these new international flavors all feature heat but it’s more of a flavorful and aromatic blend of spices and sauces than it is of intense heat. Adding a layer of ethnic flavor is what takes the cuisine to the next level.
A great example of this is the sweet yet spicy gochujang Korean barbecue sauce. It’s thick and is often used on meats. We’re also seeing kimchi, fermented cabbage, popping up everywhere, including on top of burgers. And of course, that’s not all. Warm Middle Eastern flavors with spice mixtures that include cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, allspice and ginger are on the rise.
Perhaps the spice to keep an eye on the most is turmeric. It’s been touted for its incredible healing ability. It’s often what is found in most curries, giving it that yellow hue. Everywhere you look, you’ll see turmeric in cocktails and in menu items like turmeric roasted chicken a variety of other dishes.
Because today’s consumer is concerned with health and wellness particularly in dining options, turmeric is definitely a spice that is driving the innovation behind the culinary creations that today’s chefs are dishing out. It adds an element of ethnicity while adding healthy benefits, which is a huge force driving this dining trend.