Food Trends 2025 or rather…forward movements.

Whats the saying…? Better late than never! This post should perhaps have been up a while ago considering 1/4 of the year has already passed. But since there’s no clear start or ending to trends, here we go. Looking for inspiration on what to cook next?

With food like in everything else there’s trends. As a private chef in Mallorca I really enjoy keeping an eye on new things. I don’t love the word trend as it suggests something temporary that is going to be the opposite to wanted next season. Very unsustainable. And since sustainability is trending, I think that trends in themselves are actually out. But they are still happening so…

In the culinary world, peppers and boiling soup is always hot. And cool is of course lemonade with ice cubes, a melon just out of the fridge and ice cream… So unless you have a better suggestion for me I might have to stick with the word “trend”.

Maybe when it comes to food trends we can think of it more as a movement forward, a weave of different stories forming a new one. Inviting playfulness and creativity to the kitchen to make something new to savour. Or to revisit. Food, just like smells, often carries us away to other places, evokes memories of childhood, places, a certain person or time in our life.

Here’s what I predict will be hot, cool and trendy food wise in 2025. Completely just based on my own ideas and cravings, both to eat and to make.

The keywords 2025 is tradition and bold flavours. Leading us to sustainability, foraging, fermentation and comfort food.

Burrata – This firm on the outside, creamy on the inside cheese came in to my world about 5 years ago. Since then it’s expanded, like the blob it is, to take over everyone’s menus and fridges at home. Two summers ago I did not want to see another burrata as I felt I had them coming out of my ears, but I’ve changed my mind. Nothing beats its texture, and the soft fatty mouthfeel complements sharp flavours so well. Serve it with grilled fruit, toasted nuts and herbs or pesto and fresh tomatoes or anchovies and lemon zest, or in pasta or on toast. Burrata here to stay.

Smoky & Charred Elements – Deep, fire kissed flavours. Grilled miso, burnt butter or ember cooked dishes. Smokey fruits and veggies and salads and desserts. Smoked fish, especially Mackrell has been one of my faves since I was a kid. A few years ago smokiness and bbq started being more common in restaurants around the island and I think we’ll see more of it in different combos this year. Sa Fumata in Palma does basically everything deliciously smoked and Patiki in Port de Soller does beautiful charcoal grilled dishes as well.

Fermented & Aged Everything – So much of new things in in the culinary world is created by looking back. From miso-aged butter to koji-aged meats. These techniques are old and great for preserving food and creating umami flavours. Whole lacto-fermented fruits and veggies, full of acidity and sometimes salt, to complement your umami rich food nicely. I recon’ we’ll see fermented everything, from blueberries, cultured butter and kimchi mayo. I also think we’ll be using dry aging techniques on meats to break down proteins and to round the flavours. Especially of sharp tasting meats like lamb.

Fermented Honey – A somewhat new way to add sweetness with depth and complexity. This also popped up here and there last year but I think it’s got potential to be used much more. Here’s a basic recipe to start with.

Tamarind – I remember drinking tamarind juice every morning in Costa Rica, it was about 20 years ago so the details are a bit blurry. But I do remember one of the highlights every morning was coming back from the surf to visit the juice stand under the tamarind tree. Tamarind paste has an acidity and sweetness that can be compared with lime and honey combined, but with a different fragrance note. Excellent to give sweet and tangy complexity in sauces, glazes, and dressings.

Yuzu Kosho – Spicy, citrusy Japanese condiment made from yuzu zest, chili, and salt. Could it be the “new” dukkah? Click here to make your own

Local Foraging – Locally found herbs, seaweed, mushrooms, and flowers. If you know me you know I’m a nerd when it comes to this. Foraging gives me a bubbly feeling that I recon is primal. We were made to forage, at least I was. This year I think and hope more people will get in to it. Back to our nomad roots! If you’re in Mallorca and want to learn more, talk to Uta she does the best foraging walks.

Seaweed & Coastal Herbs – From dulse to samphire, adding natural umami and salinity. I already see samphire everywhere, perhaps because it tastes more of salt than seaweed and therefor is easier to use as an intro to sea weed? But I also believe we’ll be using more kelp and seaweed in broths and as seasonings as well as for snacks. It’s a sustainable umami boost.

Mushroom Varieties – Lion’s mane, maitake, and black truffle hybrids gaining spotlight in the kitchen. I’ve had lionesmane in my coffee every morning for the last couple of years but now I see it stepping in to the food region of the kitchen as well. And truffle, all of a sudden the little schrooms are popping up everywhere! I predict new dishes!

Exotic Citrus – I first discovered finger lime in Australia where it grows wild in the bush. On oysters it’s incredible! There is a man on the island of Mallorca who grows them, which is very exciting for someone who tries to keep it local. Calamansi, sudachi, and Buddha’s hand are also interesting varieties to explore.

Chinese Cuisine – There is so much to discover here. Not just fermented chili sauces as well as soya. (sorry I’m gong on and on about the ferments…) And smokiness from jasmin and green tea. Hot pot meals and slow cooked farm style food in clay pots. China was the first country I visited as an “adult” at 21. My food encounters then were more scary than inspiring (think little pieces of fat and tendon floating around in a foggy broth) but I’d love to go back now with some more experience and communication skills to explore.

Cuisines

Northern Thai, Myanmar  & Lao Cuisine – Maybe it’s never been out but I think we’ll now focus more on spicier, herbaceous dishes like larb, khao soi, and sai oua sausage.

Balkan & Georgian Cuisine – Ajvar (pepper spread), khachapuri (cheese filled bread), and walnut-based sauces. I still have ALOT to learn about these cuisines which feels exciting!

Japanese Regional Cuisine – I could eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life but this isn’t about that. The coming year I think we will discover more farm food from Japan. But also street food like okonomiyaki, takoyaki and Kyoto-style kaiseki (Japanese tapas).

New Korean Wave – More of traditional korean temple food like white kimchi, congee and salted, fermented (yes fermented again!) sea foods, and gamtae (Korean nori). Jeju seafood I think is something more will learn about as well (this is very close to my heart, foraging from the sea bed, freediving) but of course translated in to your local region. There’s a great book called White Chrysanthemum that talks about the haenyeo tradition (female foraging freedives) as well as Koreas history. And a great documentary on Apple about the amazing freediving women of the Jeju island here.

Pub grub – Especially schnitzel. I can not explain this but schnitzel keeps popping up in my head. I have not craved it since I was in Thailand over 20 years ago and had had too much pad thai. The only non thai restaurant on the island was Austrian and they had amazing schnitzel. But now the craving is back for some reason. Also the whole brown, British pub vibe is something we’ll go for this year. My friends here are craving Sunday roasts. In a world that seems to be getting mader by the minute I think it might be that homely, cosy and safe feeling we’re after. May it come in roast or schnitzel shape.

That’s all from the future telling food nerd for this year. Please fel free to let me know if you want me to dive deeper in to any of my predictions.