Happy 2020 from Miami! I arrived in beautiful South Florida (where the weather has been a steady 19- 25 C at the height of winter!) a couple of weeks ago and have been busy immersing myself back in the food scene. One of the insightful events I recently attended was hosted by Gluttonomy— a Miami-based marketing agency founded by Nidal Barake— which decided that they weren’t just going to tell us what their 2020 food trend predictions were– they wanted us to TASTE the food trends! (Hey, no one’s complaining here!)
So one Monday night, some of Miami’s top chefs, members of the F&B community and myself gathered at Obra in Brickell– the restaurant by Carlos Garcia, Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants’ 2018 Chef’s Choice winner, of the multi-awarded restaurant Alto in Caracas, Venezuela– for a dinner prepared by both the patron and Santiago Gomez of Cantina La Veinte and Tacology.
Here are six food trends to look out for 2020:
1) Non-Avocado Toast
According to Barake, we have seen “too many avocado toasts” everywhere– from restaurant menus to social media… and enough is enough! This has certainly paved the way to explore other toppings though like eggplants, labneh, egg salad, fresh fish, etc.
2) Arepas
The globalization of the arepa has political and economic origins– a result of the Venezuelan diaspora over the last 10 years. The fact that it’s gluten-free also doesn’t hurt!
3) Nose-To-Tail Fish
We’ve seen “nose-to-tail” or the utilizing of all parts of an animal, particularly meats– a movement popularized by Fergus Henderson at his St. John in London– grow exponentially the past few years. Now, we are seeing this being applied to seafood. Barake shares, “One of the first experiences was provided by Elkano in Basque Country, where they serve and show how to eat every single part of their grilled turbot. Also, Jeremy Charles in Newfoundland, and Josh Niland in Sydney, are showing the world everything that can be done with fish.”
4) Leafy Greens as Protein
With plant-based diets gaining more and more traction, vegetables are no longer just sides; they are transcending to mains and sources of protein. According to Santiago Gomez of Cantina La Veinte and Tacology, “cabbage is the new cauliflower.” He prepared this burnt cabbage on a josper, served with yogurt sauce with shisho and crispy kale. Barake also adds that bitter leaf vegetables like radicchio and endives will also be more present (apart from just garnishes in salads)– grilled or sautéed for an umami factor.
5) Fermentation
Fermentation has been a practice in Asia since time immemorial: think kimchi from Korea, bagoong from the Philippines, miso from Japan, tempeh from Indonesia… and the list goes on. The rest of the world has caught on to this the last few years and it is a trend that continues to gain traction, with The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi and David Zilber, as one of the resources for this.
6) Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Non-alcoholic drinks are more and more being offered as pairings to tasting menus, an alternative to wines or cocktails. Perhaps it’s part of the movement towards a healthier lifestyle; mixologists are now mixing botanicals instead of alcohol. Non-alcoholic cocktail bars like Getaway in Brooklyn are also popping up.
