What's the next overpriced avocado toast? What will Instagrammers be snapping pictures of now that those obsessively decorated smoothie bowls are out? We sat down with deputy editor Andrew Knowlton to see what dishes, ingredients, and practices will invade the culinary landscape in 2017:
Cauliflower Won the Popular Vote
Fried, whole roasted, and even Chinese takeout -inspired, cauliflower is the new "This is seriously everywhere," vegetable. Look for cauliflower to start showing up on every single menu in the same way kale and Brussels sprouts have over the past couple years.
I'd Like to Place an Order for Delivery
Delivery services like Maple and David Chang's Ando are starting to cater exclusively to office lunch breakers, ditching an actual restaurant space for a fleet of delivery drivers and bikers. With daily specials and restaurant-quality dishes, there's no need to leave the cubicle. Urban delivery-only food services will be showing up like crazy over the next year.
The After Dinner Drink: Amaro
With an explosion of producers in the states, amaro will be the dominant digestif of 2017. Traditionally served neat at room temperature, this Italian bittersweet herbal liqueur can be made from ingredients such as artichokes and cardamom. It's also not too shabby in a cocktail.
Nutritional Yeast, More Delicious Than It Sounds
Nutritional yeast has been around for a minute, but it's going to make the leap to primetime in 2017. This umami-rich vegan condiment can be sprinkled on popcorn and other snacks as a creamy flavor booster, but it's also being adopted by restaurants like Seattle's Steelhead Diner and New York City's Lalo as the substitute for Parmesan cheese in vegan Caesar salads.
Adaptogens, a Totally Real Word, We Swear
Derived from plants, herbs, and mushrooms, adaptogens are a ground natural supplement that is supposed to rid the body of stress. These may look like something you'd find in a questionable hippie store circa 1978, but adaptogens are making their ways into smoothies, juices, oatmeals, and seltzers across the country, all in the name of ridding stress, aiding the immune system, promoting healthy blood flow, and supporting your digestive system. You'll see companies like Sun Potion and Moon Juice popping up everywhere over the next year.
The Return of the Old-School American Pizza Joint
In 2017, pizzerias are going to be ditching personal, charred, Neapolitan-style pizza for doughy, old-school, American pies, served in spaces that look less like a classed up rustic barn and more like the neighborhood pizza joint of your childhood. Red checker tablecloth, Tiffany lamps, and a pitcher of soda poured into those red, see-through plastic cups. It's a scene we all know from our childhood, usually post-sporting event, where cheesy slices were the sign of victory. Spots like Scarr's in NYC, Pizza Jerk in Portland, and Dino's in Seattle are already hopping on the trend.
The Entire Yogurt Lineup
Water buffalo milk, sheep's milk, coconut milk, Nubian goat's milk. There's much more to yogurt than cow's milk these days. Look for brands like Bellweather Farms or Anita's, who are making different, delicious types of yogurt, that appeal to vegans, the lactose intolerant, and generally adventurous eaters alike.
Charcoal Is Good for You?
Turns out that that messy black stuff actually purifies water. Charcoal has alleged detoxifying properties, as well as being a proven remedy for food poisoning, and has wound up in products from toothbrushes to hand soap to lemonade.
These are the food trends we hope disappear from 2016:
