As we start a new year, leading food trend forecasters have shared their predictions. Topping our list is an important trend relevant to the kosher consumer. A top trend recently reported by Mintel, the world's leading market intelligence agency, is a consistent rise in kosher product claims... “Kosher claims on labels are on the rise and gaining traction. In 2014, 40.6% of new products claimed to be kosher; in 2013, 36.3% and in 2009, 25.6%. Consumers believe that kosher is more wholesome”.
- It is the year of the Jewish Deli - Welcome back schmaltz.
- Frying is back – Fat is ok, again
- High-end bourbon and whisky replaces scotch at #1
- Communal boozing- sharable drinks and punch
- Tastes of the year include: savory ice creams and yogurts
- Flavored salts and smoky flavors; Sriracha and more sriracha
- Root veggies gain in popularity – Hello parsnips!
- Technology abounds – same day grocery delivery, instant calorie counts, smart phone couponing, new apps, restaurant ordering, time saving tech
- Golden Grazers - Older people eating smaller and more frequent meals and searching for “longevity friendly” foods
- Millennials and GenZs gravitate to their grandparents taste for pickled and fermented foods - pickled herring, pickles, sauerkraut, and modern ferments such as kimchi…
- Everyone’s a home chef – Artisan foods and ingredients made at home
- Social Food- Supermarkets convert to socializing spaces with classes, tastes, demos, events - (sounds like Costco and Whole Foods doesn’t it?)
- New BFF's - Best Food Friending online - new closer relationships with food vendors, supermarkets, food bloggers, chefs and brands
- Pistachios - (move over almonds) to reduce blood pressure and lower insulin levels
- Better sourcing... more organic, sustainability, local, emphasis on whole grains; authenticity in nutrition labeling and sourcing; grass-fed, anti-GMO movements
- Food waste reduction - throw away less, re-use, re-purpose, re-cook; transparency and better education in spoilage dating
- Expanding types of foods that offer digestive health, such as pro-biotics
- A new wave of functional plant-based waters – beyond coconut water and energy drinks
2015 KosherEye Culinary Wish List
Gathered from the wishes of our staff, readers and food blogger friends, we present our annual KosherEye culinary wish list.
YAY! The kosher certified food selection expanded again in 2014. Each year we are excited about the increase in the number of brands choosing to go kosher.
- At the top of our wish list, and back for the 5th year, is still our wish for hormone free, cleaner poultry without residual hair, shafts and feathers.
- Clean kosher restaurants with sanitation grade A, smiling capable trained wait staff, caring management, quality food and fair pricing. Let us know when you find kosher restaurants with these attributes. We would like to write about them. We also wish that kosher restaurants would be so excellent that many of their patrons come because it is good, not just because it is kosher.
- Food trucks and pop-up restaurants rolling across the U.S.
- Squeezable anchovy and tomato paste in a tube
- Healthful and ready to heat meals in family sized portions
- More and better kosher airline food
- More high quality fresh–frozen fish
- Bailey’s Irish Crème liqueur
- More kosher sherry, brandies and fine kosher liqueurs
- More fine vinegars such as Sherry vinegar, Champagne vinegar, Truffle vinegar
- More kosher certified store brands
- Online vendors listing specific kosher certification, rather than just term “kosher”
- A more unified, complete, up to date and easily searchable kashrut listing in a central online location
Although some of the items on the wish list may be available in large, metro areas, our readers across the country and Internationally hope to see them more accessible locally and on the internet.
We invite you to share your kosher finds and wish list with us at contactus@koshereye.com or on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We look forward to a year of exciting and innovative kosher introductions!
*Some of the information for this article was gathered from online reports and various Internet sources.