Food Trend: Brazilian Caranguejo Stew

If the Food Trend Gurus are correct, in 2014 you’re going to be eating a lot of gluten-free Brazilian food that is locally sourced from an environmentally sustainable garden.

The food trend forecast is not as wacky as it sounds.

We’re becoming more adventurous (and more picky) with our food choices. Think about it: 10 years ago, could you purchase sushi in the average supermarket? Nope.

Last year, locally sourced and gluten-free were the biggest food trends. This year, they are back and bigger than ever. Children’s nutrition, also big last year, fell off a bit, but it still cracks the top 10.

Why Brazilian food? Brazil is hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, so that country’s seafood stews and local ingredients will probably become more popular as the year goes by.

Here are the hot food trends for 2014, according to the National Restaurant Association and American Culinary Foundation:

• Locally sourced meat and seafood
• Locally grown produce
• Environmental sustainability
• Healthy kids’ meals
• Gluten-free cuisine
• Hyper local food sourcing (like restaurant gardens)
• Children’s nutrition
• Non-wheat noodles (think quinoa, black rice)
• Sustainable seafood
• Farm/estate branded items

The fastest rising trends that didn’t quite crack the top 10 include:
• Nose-to-Tail, Root-to-Stalk cooking
• Pickling
• Ramen
• Dark Greens
• Brazilian, Southeast Asian, Peruvian and Korean cuisine

And the least trendy? Let’s just say sweet potato fries and salted caramel have had their day.

Wanna know where food and drink are going in 2013? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Mama’s scoured the internet for food trends and predictions for the upcoming year. Would you believe:

• You’ll be drinking more wine out of a box

• Eating more sauerkraut and

• Taking more photos of the food you eat?

That’s where the trend trackers say we’re headed in the New Year. Here are a few more…

Veggies Rule: Whether it’s the rising cost of meat or our desire to eat healthier, we’re going to see more vegetables on our plates… and it won’t be the old stand-bys like corn and potatoes. Have you had a marinated cauliflower steak? Look for similar veggies with strong flavors like cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts… which leads into another hot trend…

King’s Spicy Kimchi

Sour Flavors: Last year I told you about my infatuation with kimchi (fermented Korean cabbage). In the coming year, you can look for similar sharp, sour flavors like brined Moroccan lemons, pickled Mexican carrots, sauerkraut and citrus cured Peruvian ceviche… which takes us into 2013’s smokin’ hot cuisine…

Peruvian Food: We’ve done Mexico, we’ve sampled Cuba, now it’s time to explore Peru. The South American country’s geographically and wildly diverse (Japanese, Spanish, African, Chinese, Italian and Quechua) cultures bring together crazy culinary flavors… from sashimi-inspired tiradito to aji chili-flavored pastas and snacks like…

Popcorn: The whole-grain appeal of popcorn makes this one-time movie snack a featured player in ice cream, as a crouton and topping casseroles. It’ll get exotically cheesed, spiced and flavored and will pop up everywhere, just like…

Boxed Wine: Higher quality wine producers will start thinking inside the box because of lower shipping costs and the elimination of oxidation. Single serve options (I keep thinking of juice boxes, and that really worries me) will also increase as more of us try to cut back on our alcohol consumption and opt not to open a bottle.

Social Food Sharing: Do you take a photo of what you’re eating (or just created in the kitchen)? You aren’t alone. In the coming year we’ll continue to upload millions of images everyday to sites like Pinterest, Foodspotting and Food Gawker. I’m still trying to figure out the psychology of why this has become such a trend…

And that’s not all. There are a bunch of other things trending, like protein added to everything from beverages to salty snacks and ramen noodles coming out of dorm room and on to our dinner plate.

Strap yourself in… 2013 is gonna be a great year for food, drink and new ideas!