2012 Food Trends In Charts

Restaurant consultants Baum and Whiteman just released their predicted food trends of 2012, and we're excited to see Japanese and Mexican influences proliferating the list.

Trending words include: fresh sardines, uni, yuzu, tamarind, oxtail, hibiscus, arepas, coconut oil, shiso, bao, nduja, green papaya, and huacatay (black mint).

On a larger scale, everything is going multicultural. Eating beef tongue, gizzards, tripe, and chicken livers is no longer a big deal thanks to japanese izakayas, Korean tacos, and authentic Mexican cuisine. So to help take in all this new, crazy food you'll be having next year, let's look at some charts.

Graphic by Jane Bruce

Example A: Beer gardens (always trendy), mini things (like cupcakes), and bread-like foods are all taking the multicultural dive with Japanese craft beers, arancini, and arepas, respectively.

Graphic by Jane Bruce

Example B: Even standard restaurant fare is getting creative. Comfort food is still getting the "gourmet" treatment as well, with fancy meatballs, pork rillettes mac and cheese, and Korean fried chicken.

Graphic by Jane Bruce

Example C: House-made pickles are trendy and Korean food will soon be ubiquitous. This makes the ingredient of the year kimchi. Enjoy.

The Daily Byte is a regular column dedicated to covering interesting food news and trends across the country. Click here for previous columns.