\u201cPeople come back because restaurants are trying new things and taking old recipes and jazzing them up. It\u2019s all about evolving the cuisine to its time and place,\u201d said Vancouver\u2019s Michael Viloria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four Insights for 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/2023-Culinary-Trends-Infographic.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Veg-centric sensations.<\/strong> People are pausing on plant-based foods and rediscovering vegetables as a centre-of-the-plate option.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNot limited to vegetarian or vegan, veg-centric can include meat protein in small amounts. The appeal is the flavour notes imparted by aggressive cooking techniques \u2013 char-grilling, broiling, smoking, fire-roasting, etc. \u2013 and seasonings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a resurgence in natural plant foods. People are taking cabbage leaves and putting them in a bowl, stuffing them with vegetables, rolling them back, and you\u2019ve got a cabbage roll dish,\u201d David Evans said of the Toronto market. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing lots of potato dishes, root vegetable dishes being the star instead of being an analog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Mushroom umami.<\/strong> Earthy mushrooms have chefs looking beyond portobello burgers and button mushrooms on salads and pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cMushrooms are hidden gems of the produce world,\u201d Viloria said. \u201cWith all of the varieties out there, it\u2019s a meat or protein replacement with room to grow \u2013 great on their own, but good in stocks, sauces and even tea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enoki, oyster, lobster, chanterelle, shiitake, black trumpet and hen of the woods mushrooms all add umami to the menu, plus they absorb flavours to varying degrees while adding colour to the plate. Viloria also recommends chopping small mushrooms into duxelles that can be cooked off for a bolognese dish, chili or shepherd\u2019s pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. New mashups.<\/strong> The culinary melting pot continues as people sample unfamiliar cuisines and find similarities. Consider Mediterranean influences on familiar foods. Tomato-based Italian bruschetta becomes Turkish ezme. Traditional pizza becomes a cheese- and egg-filled Georgian bread boat. And it doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIn Montreal, we have really good Asian food, Indian food, Afro-American food. People from different cultures are putting their own spin on our city\u2019s cuisine,\u201d said Paul-Andr\u00e9 Miron Pich\u00e9. \u201cThere\u2019s a place that does pho poutine \u2013 fries, gravy, bouillon, meatballs, radish, basil, shrimp \u2013 a creative twist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s also growing interest in foraging and indigenous plant cuisines, Evans said. Three sisters \u2013 corn, sweet potatoes and beans \u2013 are finding a place on the menu, alongside wild thyme, rosemary and regional herbs familiar to fine French cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Viloria agrees: \u201cWhat is trending is a curiosity of what is similar about everyone\u2019s cuisine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Veg-centric sensations.<\/strong> People are pausing on plant-based foods and rediscovering vegetables as a centre-of-the-plate option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not limited to vegetarian or vegan, veg-centric can include meat protein in small amounts. The appeal is the flavour notes imparted by aggressive cooking techniques \u2013 char-grilling, broiling, smoking, fire-roasting, etc. \u2013 and seasonings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re seeing a resurgence in natural plant foods. People are taking cabbage leaves and putting them in a bowl, stuffing them with vegetables, rolling them back, and you\u2019ve got a cabbage roll dish,\u201d David Evans said of the Toronto market. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing lots of potato dishes, root vegetable dishes being the star instead of being an analog.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Mushroom umami.<\/strong> Earthy mushrooms have chefs looking beyond portobello burgers and button mushrooms on salads and pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMushrooms are hidden gems of the produce world,\u201d Viloria said. \u201cWith all of the varieties out there, it\u2019s a meat or protein replacement with room to grow \u2013 great on their own, but good in stocks, sauces and even tea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Enoki, oyster, lobster, chanterelle, shiitake, black trumpet and hen of the woods mushrooms all add umami to the menu, plus they absorb flavours to varying degrees while adding colour to the plate. Viloria also recommends chopping small mushrooms into duxelles that can be cooked off for a bolognese dish, chili or shepherd\u2019s pie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. New mashups.<\/strong> The culinary melting pot continues as people sample unfamiliar cuisines and find similarities. Consider Mediterranean influences on familiar foods. Tomato-based Italian bruschetta becomes Turkish ezme. Traditional pizza becomes a cheese- and egg-filled Georgian bread boat. And it doesn\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn Montreal, we have really good Asian food, Indian food, Afro-American food. People from different cultures are putting their own spin on our city\u2019s cuisine,\u201d said Paul-Andr\u00e9 Miron Pich\u00e9. \u201cThere\u2019s a place that does pho poutine \u2013 fries, gravy, bouillon, meatballs, radish, basil, shrimp \u2013 a creative twist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s also growing interest in foraging and indigenous plant cuisines, Evans said. Three sisters \u2013 corn, sweet potatoes and beans \u2013 are finding a place on the menu, alongside wild thyme, rosemary and regional herbs familiar to fine French cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Viloria agrees: \u201cWhat is trending is a curiosity of what is similar about everyone\u2019s cuisine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n