Food trend spotters around the nation have been trying to peg the 2011 food fashions. Every article differs on specific dishes, but it all boils down to five buzz words you need to know: ethnic, local, artisan, minimal and sustainable.
Ethnic
As Tyler Cowne says, “all food is ethnic food.” But in 2011, expect to see a wide array of foods with names you can’t pronounce and flavors that might be new to you. New York and LA have been on the bandwagon for some time, but DC is just starting to discover flavors beyond Continental, Tex-Mex, and Pan-Asian. The biggest push is going to be for tacos that are anything but Latin and also expect to see a lot of flavors from SouthEast Asia (beyond Thai!), and other Asian cuisine such as Korean BBQ and fried chicken.
IN: black rice, quinoa, red rice, sandwiches, street food carts, breakfasts (traditional with ethnic spin, and traditionally ethnic), exotic fruits such as durian, passion fruit, dragon fruit, paw paw, guava, cheeses, Iced Tea (Thai style), and lots of Korean and Vietnamese flavors.
OUT: buckwheat, panini, Mexican inspired salads, alligator, parfait, French toast/stuffed French toast, quiche, daikon, soybeans, kale, Belgian, stir fry, grappa
What to Look for in DC: Food trucks are still in and if you want to find Korean fair follow @yellowvendor and try some of the Yellow Vendor Bulgolgi. For Korean fried chicken it will be well worth the wait to head out to Bon Chon in Annandale.
Local
I’m hesitant to call local a trend. It’s swiftly becoming a lifestyle and in 2011 it will pick up even more steam. We’re going to be seeing a return to “old world” shopping: visiting the butcher, the baker, the fromagerie, and all the mom-and-pop shops in between. Farmers are slated to become more popular than celebrity chefs, and you can bet that local butchers and cheese shops won’t be far behind. Expect to see more local canning wares at the farmers markets, with locally made pickles, jams, jellies, syrups, and preserves growing in popularity. IN: locally raised meats, seafood, produce, mom and pops, neighborhood butchers, bakeries, cheese shops, locally made wine and beer, hot dogs, sausages, farmers as celebrities, locally made canned goods, farm shares and CSA (communally supported agriculture).
OUT: chain grocers, celebrity chefs, mass produced ingredients
What to Look for in DC: Find your local farmers markets to find locally made cheeses, canned goods and cuts of meat. Check out EcoFreindly Foods’ sausages and meats at the DuPont and Courthouse farmers markets. To be really in on the trend consider competing in the 2nd DC “State” Fair pickle or pie competition!
Artisan
So what is artisan food? To be truly artisan, food must be perfected and taken to the next level, by skilled and highly focused chefs. Artisan foods tend to come in small batches, and from sources that specialize in making one form of food, but with inventive twists you won’t have seen before.
IN: unusual ice cream flavors, popsicles, specialty bacon, “sandwiches” by any other name such as banh mi, specialty small batch cheeses, sous-vide, micro-distilled liquor, cocktails made with savory, fresh ingredients, gourmet junk foods such as chips, pretzels and popcorn, pie shops (both salty and sweet), and single ingredient-focused restaurants
OUT: boar, tongue, rabbit, sweetbreads, tripe, offal, lavender, foam/froth/air, wine on tap, absinthe, wine spritzers, cupcakes, and whoopie pies
What to Look for in DC: For specialty ice creams, cheeses, and liquors you have plenty of choices in where to shop but if you want an artisan popsicle there is only place truly ahead on this trend: Dairy Godmother. You’ll also notice adult only ice cream floats making their way onto the menus around town this year, and a lot more talk about Dangerously Delicious Pies.
Minimal
2011 is taking portion control to a new level. The fad days of tappas and mezze may be over but we’re still into small plates, just so long as it doesn’t have a slider on it. Restaurants will be simplifying everything from their decors to the wording on the menu, and cutting out the advertising middle man as up to seventy percent of chefs and restaurants will be using social media to reach their customers. Don’t think this is about the recession: restaurants may limit their ingredients but we’re over the nostalgic cupcakes, whoopie pies and comfort food.
IN: bite size appetizers, bite sized desserts, food trucks, and pop-up restaurants with limited menus, social media for advertising, smaller portions for smaller prices
OUT: sliders, cupcakes, whoopie pies, traditional tappas and mezze
What to Look for in DC: It might be more difficult to tell what you’re ordering in restaurants when descriptions of dishes stop appearing or merely listing ingredients, and it might be even more difficult to tell what you’re eating when the smaller portions arrive, but either way, the experience will be streamlined.
Sustainable
Years ago it was widely believed that over-fishing was impossible. But now, as more research has become available, a slow-growing movement for sustainable seafood has gained momentum. To see the latest information on which fish and seafood are farmed or caught in the most ecologically-sensitive ways, and aren’t part of endangered populations, try the Seafood Watch Program from Monterey Bay complete with iPhone app.
You will probably also see more restaurants and consumers growing their own produce and herbs, both to reduce pesticides and shipping deterioration, and to emphasize heirloom varieties that don’t grow well in bulk.
IN: focus on sustainable fish and seafood, restaurants with gardens (rooftop, backyard, community), growing your own produce and herbs for home cooking and canning, Meatless Mondays, replacing meat and seafood with vegetables
OUT: blue fin tuna, swordfish, red snapper, and Atlantic cod
What to Look for in DC: Blue Duck Tavern is ahead of the trend. They grow produce and are in the works to expand their current garden to the rooftop. Barton Seaver, Executive Chef at DC’s Blue Ridge neighborhood beer garden, also recommends switching from over fished tuna, swordfish and salmon, to more plentiful species like mackerel, sardines, clams, catfish, oysters, and anchovies. Founding Farmers and its sister restaurant, Farmers and Fishers, both emphasize local, sustainable ingredients, particularly seafood.
Jana Erwin is the primary chef and writer of CherryTeaCakes.com, a non-profit venture combining the love of fine desserts and feeding the impoverished in Washington DC.
