Predicting food trends is like predicting the weather – it can be a science or an educated guess. To find out what will be bubbling in pots and glasses in 2024, we delved into digital analytics and, why not, social media, to identify certain trends that are likely to dominate taste buds, and conversations, this year.
What will we eat, drink and talk in 2024? It seems that the border between bars and restaurants is getting smaller and that French cuisine and crazy martinis have become popular among TikTokers. We also change absolute truths; We do want to share our food and the delicate sake, an ancient Japanese drink, is gaining ground as a protagonist.
Check out 5 gastronomy trends for 2024
Is it a bar or restaurant?
It seems to be the end of the chef's favorite playlist or that “ambient music” to keep diners entertained. A vibe trendy, typical of bars, now enters restaurants and gains its role within the gastronomic experience. According to the editors of Food & Travel from National Geographic, this is a trend that dominated London, but that also happens throughout Europe, since the Bambino in Paris until Cornerstore in Amsterdam. Will it be Brazil's turn?
The newly opened Bambi in London Fields welcomes diners with a huge wall of records on display and a music program curated by Charlie Dark MBE, including live DJs playing tunes to accompany casual small plates from chef Henry Freestone. Another new location, in Dalston, mu , offers live jazz and Cuban bands alongside Japanese-inspired izakaya fare; whilst in Newington Green, there is the Stella's the butcher shop that turns into a bar with charcuterie – another trend – and wine, on weekend nights.
French pastries inside out
Bakers and foodies are reimagining classic French desserts, from TikTok's viral “upside-down puff pastries” to star chef Daniel Boulud's claim to CNN that French cuisine “continues to inspire people by being fun, delicious and accessible”. For many, next-generation French desserts are “little luxuries” in the routine that feel simultaneously fresh and familiar.
According to Food Network, they're the latest in a long line of trendy sweets with modern twists: Predecessors include the cupcake craze of the early 2000s, the invention of the Cronut in 2013 and the babka revival of the mid-2010s. In 2024, we can expect to see clever French recipes continue to evolve the viral “New York Roll“, in bakeries like Lyséein NY, which offers Kouign Amann bulk ice cream sandwiches.
Sake as protagonist
Japan's ancient rice drink has millennia of history and generations of perfecting the art of making it. Interest and enthusiasm for sake is increasing in the United States, according to Food Network, sake exports have tripled in the previous decade, with sales of nearly US$80 million (approximately R$400 million) last year. Japan's Dassai opened its first U.S. brewery in New York's Hudson Valley in September 2023, two sake bars have opened in Nashville, and Americans are launching local craft sake breweries. “There’s never been a better time to drink sake,” declared a 2023 Food & Wine headline, while The New York Times announced “Sake is on the rise in America.”
The restaurant Bam!, in Singapore caused a sensation in 2023 with its ethic called “modern shudo”, or “the contemporary way of enjoying sake”. This means that the sake is not just in the glass – it is also on the plate.
Large dishes to share
Small plates have defined (at least) the last decade of expected dinnertime, but according to Food & Travel National Geographic for 2024, now it may be the turn of large shared dishes, which are becoming popular with even the most refined diners. At Tomos Parry's new Mountain restaurant, the signature dish is a lobster stew for three or five people to share; Llama Inn offers lomo saltado, a huge dish of Peruvian beef stew topped with fries and served with scallion pancakes; while whole roast chicken stole the show at new openings like Dovetale, Story Cellar and Bébé Bob, specializing in the dish.
Offering good value for money for the restaurant, streamlined service for the kitchen and, let's face it, an eye-catching look on social media, it's easy to see why these steaming, colorful dishes are a hit.
Crazy Martinis
The martini is as classic as its shape, but the cocktail is fashionable again. According to Diageo’s 2024 trends report, the new wave of the martini “is enjoying a cultural moment on social media.” It certainly seems like creative martinis are everywhere now: In New York, Temple Bar has a dozen variations, including the Bilbao martini, which contains a drop of anchovy oil and at elNico there's a tomato martini infused with sun-dried tomatoes, vermouth and basil oil.
According to NatGeo, in London, two sub-trends have proven popular: “one-sip” martinis served in shot glasses and martinis at subzero temperatures, straight from the freezer. Taking this to the extreme is Mimi Kakushi in Dubai, who has a pre-bottled martini wrapped in a ice block at -20ºC which is then carved by bartenders for each order.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
