"What's Hot" Trends for 2011

The National Restaurant Association's annual survey of 1,500 professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation is here!

I find that this list is an important tool for growers to use during the planning for next season. This is especially important for producers who sell to restaurants.

Again this year we see local, sustainable and organic as some of the top trends. I hope this means these "trends" are here to stay!

Here are the top 10 overall trends:

1. Locally sourced meat and seafood
2. Locally grown produce
3. Sustainability
4. Nutritionally balanced children's dishes
5. Hyper-local (e.g. restaurant gardens, do your own butchering)
6. Children's nutrition
7. Sustainable seafood
8. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
9. Simplicity/back to basics
10. Farm/estate-branded ingredients

Also making the top 20 is Locally produced wine and beer (#12), Organic produce (#14) and Fruit/Vegetable children's side items (#18).

The top 5 produce trends:

1. Locally grown produce
2. Organic produce
3. Superfruits (acai, goji, purslane, mangosteen)
   
4. Heirloom beans
5. Exotic fruit (paw paw, passion fruit, durian, dragon fruit and guava)
   

Download the entire What's Hot for 2011 chef survey results (PDF).