Remember all those food fads that cropped up online during the early days of the pandemic? There were the sourdough days, the banana bread days, the everything-is-actually-cake days. It’s been a weird time. And now with a new year on our doorstep, we’re predicting what food trends we might see taking hold in 2022.
“Every year food trends come and food trends go and the last few years have not been a disappointment,” says Nadia Atzori, WW nutrition and food database specialist. “We have seen viral food frenzies like cloud bread, feta pasta, dalgona coffee, and we can’t forget turning everything and anything into a charcuterie board! I mean who hasn’t jumped on the charcuterie train? Hot chocolate charcuterie board ... yes please!”
Fast forward to 2022, Atzori says, and we are starting to see some trends slowly develop that are sure to bring us viral TikTok videos for the coming year.
Here are some of Atzori’s food trend predictions for 2022:
- The Pizza Cone: “Just as the name suggests, the pizza cone is pizza dough rolled and shaped into a cone and stuffed with all your favourite toppings.”
- Malasadas: “What’s better than a doughnut? A doughnut with no hole, so make way for the malasada, which is a traditional Portuguese doughnut: deep fried dough, coated in cinnamon and sugar with a crunchy outer layer and chewy inner layer. The malasadas are said to shake up the dessert scene in 2022 as trend setters start filling these wonders with sweet fillings.”
- Croffles: “Is it a waffle? Is it a croissant? Better! It is a hybrid between the two. The croffle is a croissant-shaped waffle with savoury and/or sweet fillings.”
- Egg Bread: “Now who doesn’t remember the sourdough bread craze of 2020?” says Atzori. It looks like 2022 will have its own bread craze – this time, egg bread. “This bread will break into mainstream media as brioche and challah bread begin to gain popularity. It is expected that these breads will be used to create viral French toast TikToks.”
- Calic Bread: “Garlic bread and cream cheese unite in this trend that originated in Korea. Sourdough loaves (yes these are making a comeback) are filled with cream cheese, garlic and parsley, and then dipped in a garlic butter before baking. Variations of this bread are expected to take the TikTok world by storm in 2022.”
Beyond the fads that will no doubt make the social media rounds, Atzori has a few other predictions for the kinds of things people are going to be eating and drinking on a regular basis.
- Baked oats/overnight oats: Atzori says these were a top trend in 2021 and it seems that they are holding on strong into 2022. “The only variation for 2022 is that we are looking at utilizing more functional and sustainable grains like Kernza, so expect to see more of this grain on grocery shelves in the new year.”
- Sparkling probiotics: “Move over kombucha and make way for functional fizz! Bubbly drinks meet probiotics to create sparkling sippers with a wide range of benefits,” says Atzori.
- Sunflower seeds: Atzori says sunflower seeds are making an appearance in 2022 in the shape of crackers, ice cream and even cheese. And sunflower butter is said to become a very popular seed-based ingredient for bakers in the upcoming year.
- Barley milk: While the oat milk trend will continue into 2022, with it being the second most popular milk alternative, following almond milk, Atzori says there’s a new grain in town: barley. Driven by consumer concern over health and well-being, our changing climate and environmental sustainability, barley milk has already broken into both the U.S. and U.K. markets and, she says, Canadian manufacturers are set to join in on the fun in 2022.
- Turmeric: “Over the past few years, Western culture has grown into a love affair with spices and spicy condiments,” Atzori says. “Although turmeric supplements are nothing new, this spice is making its way into cereals and plant-based ice cream sandwiches in 2022.”
- Moringa: “Move over matcha and make way for moringa. Often referred to as the miracle tree, moringa is predicted to become the next matcha in regards to its nutritional benefits,” Atzori says. “If you don’t know much about moringa, you will by the end of 2022. Moringa will be seen as a staple ingredient, sold in powder form, that can be added to soups, sauces, smoothies, baked goods, protein bars and frozen desserts.”
- Borderless cuisine: Atzori predicts massive fusion in restaurants this year. “Restaurant-goers will welcome a new way of dining that embraces cultural influences from a variety of regions,” she explains, with multiple cultures reflected in single dishes.
Meanwhile over at Whole Foods, a team of experts predicts urban farming will become a big focus in 2022, as people becoming increasingly focused on sustainability.
They also expect to see “reducetarianism” gaining in popularity. This is the practice of reducing consumption of meat, dairy and eggs without cutting those items out of one’s diet completely. People who practise this also typically choose higher-end products in these categories, such as grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs when they do choose to eat them.
And as far as trendy ingredients go, the Whole Foods team is predicting yuzu and hibiscus will become stars of the show.