SWEET & SALTY IS BACK

REINVENTING THIS CLASSIC COMBO

Although Gen Zers started the viral sweet-and-spicy trend, they are also embracing foods that pair sugar and salt. Rooted in the nostalgia of the 90s (think kettle corn, honey mustard, and salted caramel), these bold contrasting flavors are back in myriad forms.

Appetizers/Snacks: Wrap goat cheese-stuffed dates or figs in thick slices of prosciutto or Serrano ham.
Salads: Mix together watermelon and feta or tomatoes and burrata and add to leafy greens.
Mains: Offer crispy fried chicken with honey glaze and waffles, pasta with date-parsley gremolata, or sweet potato pierogis with brown butter.
Desserts: Crunchy pretzel dough gives balance to fruity pies like apple or pear; sprinkle with chunks of sea salt.

SWEET, TANGY, SALTY

Diners are increasingly hyper-focused on high-protein and plant-based foods. Alongside all of the new-fangled, lab-based, cell-cultured options out there is the humble bean. A staple food for millenia, beans are being re-examined as a healthy, versatile ingredient worthy of menu inclusion.

Retro and heirloom recipes—like Southern succotash, French cassoulet, and Cajun red beans and rice—fit the bill for those in search of authenticity.
Most world cuisines incorporate some type of bean in their classic dishes. Think feijoada in Brazil, black beans and rice with plantains in Puerto Rico, and garbanzo beans in Israel. Modern interpretations of these recipes are packed with produce and herbs.
The creamy texture of mung beans is proving an ideal substitute for those that are eliminating soy from their diets.

SWEET & SALTY IS BACK

More From Culinary Trends

Trends: Spill the Beans

Trends: Alternative Fries

Trends: The Evolving Chef’s Hat