With COVID-19 pandemic, the food industry has seen a lot of change in these past 2 years. Its ever-evolving with new trends coming up every year. Here are some food trends for the year 2023:

1. Plant-based Foods – Plant based foods like meats and pastas are one of the biggest trends this coming year. It’s a trend that’s slowly but prominently evolving into mainstream. With social media influence, vegan bloggers and YouTube videos reaching every household, people are becoming more and more conscious about what they eat. As a result of this Veganism is also really picking up. People feel these plant-based alternatives are healthy not only for them but also for the environment. Keeping these customer sensibilities in mind, many places have started offering vegan pasta options like zucchini spaghetti, cauliflower gnocchi and many more such varieties. Even plant-based meat or mock meat Burgers, Baos (like the Pickled Chili Mock Meat Buns at Burma Burma) and many more are picking up.
2. Regional or Cultural Food–With more awareness and consciousness about different cuisines, cultures and local food options, food from different regions and states are gaining popularity. Whether it’s the Misal or Vada Pav from Maharashtra, Jhalmuri and Puchka from Kolkata, Dhokla or Khandvi from Gujrat, and Kanda Poha from MP – people relish these as much as their local street food. More and more restaurants are now offering such dishes claiming them to be authentic preparations of the original. Zomato also has started a new feature called Intercity wherein you can order any dish from another city from your home and get it delivered by next day. Going by these developments regional or cultural food is set to boom next year.
3. Comfort Food or Meals –With people wanting to go to back to the pre-pandemic time, there is demand for more nostalgic and comfort food, which is only set to grow in the coming year. Restaurants have now started including in their menus – recipes that have been passed down from generations, or some specific dish enjoyed by their founder when he or she was small or the most common Khichdi. Khichdi has really blown up and finds a place in the menus of many restaurants. Café Delhi Heights is the biggest example who have not only Khichdi but also dishes like Railway Cutlet or Dilli Ki Maggi in their menu. Comfort Food is a trend ready to be explored more.
4. Sugar Alternatives – The demand for many alternatives to refined sugar like pure maple syrup, coconut sugar, fruit juices, honey or stevia is also increasing. People are wanting to try these in their daily foods as more and more health benefits are being known to them.
5. Spicy & Sweet Foods – Dishes that have both sweet and spicy extreme flavours are also getting more and more takers nowadays. Drinks like Chili Mango, or Desserts like Chili Dark Chocolate Candy have become increasingly popular. These seem to be inspired from South Korean Cuisine where strawberry jam mixed with hot sauce and served alongwith Fried chicken seems to be a crowd favourite. With Korean culture and food gaining more and more foothold in India, Swicy Foods (Sweet & Spicy) are here to grow too.
6. Mushrooms – These have become such a mainstream nowadays that they find themselves in household cooking too. Certain varieties like Portobello Mushrooms are increasingly being used as a substitute for patties in burgers. Other varieties like Oyster Mushrooms or Shiitake Mushrooms are also being used more and more in various cuisines. With people leaning towards plant-based food options mushrooms are only going to become more popular.
7. Charcuterie & Cheese Boards–Post COVID-19, there has been an increase in the number of house parties. More and more people are hosting guests at home and as a result looking for reliable, and delicious food options. This has seen an increase in the no of home chefs, who are now offering such boards as a filling, convenient and cost-effective option. Even food curators, social media influencers, and caterers are offering more such boards. Charcuterie, Cheese Platters & Grazing boards are surely going to explode in 2023.
8. Artisanal Indian Coffees – Gone are the days when coffee meant only Nescafe. People have now become open to trying more varieties and types of coffee. Coffee itself has evolved a lot over the years. Different blends or roasts are now available for people to try. Even the availability of skilled barista who can make good coffee and are also adept at coffee art has increased. Many cafes or coffee houses have also opened who are educating people about different blends and roasts through their menu. Not just this they also mention the plantations from where they have sourced their beans. These plantations are now also selling directly to the consumers or retail buyers. With such development in coffee over the years it is only going to surge in the coming year.
9. South-Indian Food–With an increase in demand for regional food, South-Indian cuisine has specifically seen an increase in the number of takers. The menu nowadays offers not just the typical dishes like Dosa, Uttapam, Idlietc but also offers other lesser known preparations like Appam, Paniyaram, Parotta & Curry, Bisebelebhath, and may more. The difference in the flavours and dishes of Keralite or Tamilian or Karnataka South-Indian food is also becoming more and more prominent with more outlets coming up that offer specific varieties. With such focused interest in this cuisine, it is only set to rise and grow.