The National Restaurant Association unveiled its 2018 edition of “What’s Hot,” a list that surveys 700 professional chefs to predict the top food and beverage trends for restaurants in the coming year.

“Local, vegetable-forward, and ethnic-inspired menu items will reign supreme in the upcoming year. Guests are implementing these trends in their own lifestyles and want to see them reflected on restaurant menus. In response, chefs are creating more items in-house and turning to global flavors,” says Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research at the National Restaurant Association, in a statement.

Here are the Top 20 Food Trends:

1. New cuts of meat
2. House-made condiments
3. Street food-inspired dishes
4. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
5. Sustainable seafood
6. Healthful kids’ meals
7. Vegetable carb substitutes
8. Uncommon herbs
9. Authentic ethnic cuisine
10. Ethnic spices
11. Peruvian cuisine
12. House-made/artisan pickles
13. Heritage-breed meats
14. Thai-rolled ice cream
15. African flavors
16. Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes
17. Doughnuts with non-traditional filling
18. Gourmet items in kids’ meals
19. Ethnic condiment
20. Ancient grains

These are the Top 10 Concept Trends

1. Hyper local
2. Chef-driven fast casual concepts
3. Natural ingredients/clean menus
4. Food waste reduction
5. Veggie-centric/vegetable-forward cuisine
6. Environmental sustainability
7. Locally sourced meat and seafood
8. Locally sourced produce
9. Simplicity/back to basics
10. Farm/estate-branded items

Here are the top trends by category.

Alcoholic beverages
1. Culinary cocktails
2. Locally produced spirits/wine/beer
3. Craft/artisan spirits
4. Onsite barrel-aged drinks
5. Regional signature cocktails

Breakfast/Brunch
1. Ethnic-inspired breakfast items
2. Avocado toast
3. Traditional ethnic breakfast items
4. Overnight oats
5. Breakfast hash

Condiments and Accoutrements
1. House-made condiments
2. Ethnic spices
3. House-made/artisan pickles
4. Ethnic condiments
5. Protein-rich grains/seeds

Culinary Concepts
1. Hyper-local
2. Natural ingredients/clean menus
3. Veggie-centric/vegetable-forward cuisine
4. Environmental sustainability
5. Locally sourced meat and seafood

Dishes
1. Street food-inspired
2. Vegetable carb substitutes
3. House-made charcuterie
4. Seafood charcuterie
5. Amuse-bouche/bite-size appetizers

Global Flavors
1. Authentic ethnic cuisine
2. Peruvian cuisine
3. African flavors
4. Filipino cuisine
5. Ethnic fusion cuisine

Kids’ Meals
1. Healthful kids’ meals
2. Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes
3. Gourmet items in kids’ meals
4. Whole grain items in kids’ meals
5. Grilled items in kids’ meals

Non-Alcoholic Beverages
1. House-made/artisan soft drinks
2. Cold-brew coffee
3. Gourmet lemonade
4. Locally/house roasted coffee
5. Specialty iced tea

Pasta and grains
1. Ancient grains
2. Non-wheat noodles/pasta
3. Farro
4. Black/forbidden rice
5. Hand-made pasta

Produce
1. Uncommon herbs
2. Hybrid fruit/vegetables
3. Heirloom fruit and vegetables
4. Exotic fruit
5. Superfruit

Protein
1. New cuts of meat
2. Sustainable seafood
3. Heritage-breed meats
4. Plant-based burgers
5. House-made sausage

Restaurant Concepts
1. Chef-driven fast-casual concepts
2. Food waste reduction
3. Meal kits
4. Small-plate menus/ restaurant concepts
5. Commissaries

Sweets
1. Thai-rolled ice cream
2. Doughnuts with non-traditional filling
3. Artisan/housemade ice cream
4. Savory desserts
5. Smoked dessert ingredients

According to the NRA, these are the trends heating up:

• Doughnuts with nontraditional filling
• Ethnic-inspired kids’ dishes
• Farm/estate-branded items
• Heritage-breed meats
• Peruvian cuisine
• Thai-rolled ice cream
• Uncommon herbs
• Vegetable carb substitutes
• Veggie-centric/vegetable forward cuisine

Here are the ones cooling down:

• Artisan cheese
• Heirloom fruit and vegetables
• House-made charcuterie
• House-made/artisan ice cream
• House-made sausage
• Meal kits
• Nutrition
• Protein-rich grains/seeds
• Savory desserts
• Whole grain items in kids’ meals

These are the trends the NRA considers “yesterday’s news.”

• Meals in Mason jars
• Offal
• Bitter melon
• Algae
• Spiralized vegetables
• Pumpkin spice
• Flavored popcorn
• Egg-white omelets/ sandwiches
• Fried chickpeas
• Black/forbidden rice

And these are the perennial favorites:

• Shellfish
• Barbecue
• Bacon
• Comfort food
• Gelato
• Hand-made pasta
• Breakfast burritos/tacos
• Mediterranean flavors
• Juice/milk in kids’ meals
• Breakfast hash

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