Before we explore what's in store for us in the new year, let's do a quick recap on the popular food items that took over our kitchens and kept us and our customers company during these unprecedented and challenging times.
Our favorite quarantine creations
Remember how we were whipping Dalgona coffee every day at the beginning of 2020? Our time spent in quarantine has been all kinds of challenging, but it also gave us some breathing space to let our creativity in the kitchen soar.
Quarantine food trends took off because of home-based online food businesses and their creativity. With the liberty of having enough time on their hands and realizing the potential of social media as a virtual marketplace, they have piqued customers' interest in uncommon food items not served in bigger, more established restaurants.
Join us as we go down a culinary memory lane, revisiting the most recently popular and biggest food trends that we never saw coming.
Artisan Doughnuts
The craftsmanship that goes into making artisan doughnuts is what sets it apart from famous commercial chains. Making brioche dough takes quite some time but the flavor pay-off is definitely worth it. These doughnuts feature imaginative flavor combinations and are usually made to order in limited quantities.
One of the most popular variants is the indulgent leche flan yeast doughnut featuring a leche flan center. Online businesses sell these out of their home kitchens because they're one of the easier ones to make. To add a fancy touch, you can add a chocolate drizzle or even put slices of fresh fruit on top!
Korean Egg Drop Sandwich
Korean cafe food never fails to charm foodies because even the simplest dishes are always so beautifully plated. This sandwich was made popular by a Korean breakfast food chain and took social media by storm. It features fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese sandwiched between slices of thick, pillowy white bread. This food item is easily customizable and the variations you can create are endless! For a Filipino flair, you can try using longganisa, tapa, tocino or even lechon baka instead of ham!
Smashed Burger
One of the first food businesses born out of the pandemic are mom-and-pop burger places. During the early days of 2020, when uncertainty and stress about a new, unfamiliar way of life were at their peak, people started to crave comforting, nostalgic food. Burgers are simple and familiar but they're also very delicious and filling. Smashed burgers are literally made of smashed meat patties that are thinner than usual, browned and charred to a crisp giving to give it a toasty and more developed flavor.
Birria Taco
The popularity of this food item started when home-based food businesses started selling this take on the traditional Mexican Birria beef stew. It didn't take long for this spice-rich flavorful taco to capture the taste of Filipino diners. Pretty soon, restaurants specializing in Birria tacos started popping up and a couple of online food businesses started selling their own versions too! Our take uses Knorr Beef Broth Base, Knorr Liquid Seasoning, and Knorr Oyster Flavored Sauce to ensure an explosion of meaty flavors in every bite!
Stuffed Pandesal
Ube and cheese pandesal was the first version to come out of this pandemic trend. However, we’ve seen this evolve so fast in such a short span of time because so many home bakers had a lot of time on their hands. Red velvet pandesal with cream cheese filling, matcha, and even mango are starting to pop up online. In fact, if you want to go the savory route, we have an ube salted egg version for you to try!
Korean Corndogs
Korean street food is currently taking its turn in the spotlight as it charms the younger crowd of diners. Corndogs, the satisfying snack usually sold in the night markets and streets of Seoul, have flooded the social media feeds of millennials and Gen-Z's. Unlike American corndogs, the filling for Korean corndogs is not limited to hotdogs. Other versions include mozzarella cheese sticks, rice cakes, fish cakes, and even spam! Another thing that sets it apart from the Western kind is that cornmeal isn't used in the batter. Instead, they're coated in breadcrumbs, french fries, and even ramen noodles!
What's in store for 2022
The top food trends for 2021 reflected our collective goal of eating healthy and mindfully for the benefit of our bodies, the environment, and our finances. With the pandemic still ongoing, we can expect many of this year's dining and food preferences to carry over to the new year and beyond, and possibly even claim a permanent place in our culinary landscape.
With all the many trends that have come and gone, here are some new ones to look forward to in the coming new year.
Fusion Recipes
As diners hungrily search for exciting new dishes, authentic traditional eats from around the world are expected to become increasingly popular in 2022. The goal of fusion cooking is to expand your own culinary repertoire and create new and unique dishes that diners have never experienced before by combining the traditional cooking styles and techniques of different cultures.
Fusion dishes are a great way to introduce unusual flavors and ingredient pairings to customers who have never sampled it before. You can start by combining Filipino flavors from two different regions, or take on a more complex challenge by marrying global ingredients with classic American flavors like our Sizzling Sinigang or Korean Beef Bulgogi Burger recipes! It's also a creative outlet for chefs with multiple cultural backgrounds to add their own unique spin to the food they make.
Plant-based Dishes
To protect our families, we have put an unprecedented priority on health and wellness which in turn completely changed the way we eat. With fresh and organically grown produce and vegan meat alternatives starting to take-over many fast-food and restaurant menus, our preference for plant-based dishes will likely continue in the years to come as we all constantly seek to realign our selves with our changing lifestyle goals.
Sustainable Ingredients
With a deteriorating planet and a global health crisis, diners are now meticulous about the food items they eat, what ingredient goes in them, and whether those ingredients meet their personal standards in terms of sustainability or nutrition. Customers' increasing concerns regarding food sustainability have motivated may food businesses to source their ingredients locally in an effort to minimize their transportation carbon footprints and also support local farmers.
Sustainability in terms of waste is another aspect of operating a food business that establishments should take seriously. An easy way to start is by replacing all your packaging materials with environmental-friendly and biodegradable alternatives.
EcoNest Philippines specializes in eco-friendly, unique packaging products in an effort to reduce the harmful consequences of plastic waste to our environment. Check out their product catalog!
Homey and Comforting food
Another 2021 trend that will likely continue in 2022 are home-based Instagram food businesses that have been receiving lots of support through various #SupportLocal and #ShopSmall movements.
As a highly aesthetic and visual platform, Instagram is the best place on the internet for home cooks to showcase their dishes through sumptuous and vibrant food photography. It also enables them to create their own unique positioning and create a niche separate from the already crowded traditional food business landscape.
Cloud Kitchens
Businesses are now reliant on automation not only because of the need to practice safety protocols but also in order to cut costs. Many food businesses no longer feel the need to set up their own physical kitchens as new business models like the cloud kitchen become more popular.
Shifting to a digital restaurant allows you to reduce manpower and all the costs involved in training and retaining them. Customers now prefer to browse online menus complete with prices, photos, and other details for its accessibility and convenience when it comes to ordering. Going digital is also more cost-effective as it lets the business save on printed promotional materials and other traditional advertising materials.
There's a lot to be excited about for 2022. While it might be too early to tell what the next big thing will be in food, we're always on the lookout for rising trends in the industry. Just remember that when starting a business specializing in a trendy dish, make sure you've got other ideas up your sleeves to stay sustainable and profitable for the long haul!
Unilever Food Solutions offers commercial-sized products from well-loved brands like Knorr Professional and Lady's Choice. But apart from offering ingredients, the website contains helpful resources and recipes that food businesses of all sizes can learn from. You can also subscribe to the Unilever Food Solutions newsletter for industry-related content to be sent straight to your inbox.
