Glyptodon editors give you their take on what upcoming culinary inventions will join Brussels Sprouts, Gojuchang and Burrata on menus everywhere.
I was once a swoopy haired, bright eyed kid with untrained taste buds, celebrating a birthday at Pasta Fresca in 2013. In that unspecial restaurant, I was spellbound by the taste of crispy, flash fried brussels sprouts. It was a wholly unique experience then. But today, brussels sprouts are invasive. The gray laminate floors of the food world — familiar, expected and boring. It is strange and undeniable how some foods strangle the restaurant industry. Rather than make heads or tails of these trendy undulations, the editors of Glyptodon News will try their hand at predicting what is coming next.
###Leo Sipowicz: The place to start when predicting the next trendy food sensation is the same place the savvy restaurateur starts, at the profit margin. You don’t have to be a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu to know carbohydrates are the best bang for your buck. It’s high time menu-makers woke up and started carbo-hyrdrating-that-wallet by selling high-margin starches. In our tariff-ridden country, the perfect dish to make diners drool is….various carb balls!!! I’m talking Arancini, Hushpuppys and a yet to be invented Asian fried rice ball variation. These various carb balls are all tariff-friendly since the majority of corn, barley and wheat is grown in the USA and just waiting to be fried up and served to hungry Americans. As long as chefs can resist the urge to touch the cornballer, diners will be delighted with the various ethnic spins we can put on this chameleon of a food (tikka masala and elote balls spring to mind).
###Noelle Wright: It’s no secret that mezcal, the increasingly popular agave spirit, has claimed its place in the restaurant industry. The smokey flavor, complimentary to a variety of cuisines, has become a staple. Making a home for itself, at least once, on any cocktail list in the city. With Mezcal showing up hand in hand with its popular counterpart of Oaxacan cuisine, I’m placing my next trendy food bet on the Mexican delicacy Huitlacoche (pronounced “wee-tlah-KOH-cheh”). A corn bred fungus with a sweet, but complex, nutty flavor. The earthy quality of mushroom meets the juicy kick of sweet corn. Huitlacoche compliments many dishes. It’s traditionally found in quesadillas and tamales, however, you can add it to your pasta sauces, soups, and even spread it on toast to mimic the crowd favorite, avocado toast. Truffle is already a popular buzz word on menus, and this corn fungi ,nicknamed Mexican truffle, has major potential to ride truffle coattails to quick popularity. While the unsightly dark and furry appearance may deter some diners, I will argue this may be the next escargot or oyster mushroom. A bold addition to a menu that will turn heads, raise curiosity and introduce maturity and history to your palette.
###Henry Long: I am betting big on resistance type ingredients in the coming months. Think high-tarriff countries' tastiest exports; the very act of eating these foods will be spitting in the face of the White House. People, and therefore restaurants, will be drawn to the rarity of these ingredients, or faux-rarity, and think of them as experiential and of-the-moment. In particular, I like Black Cardamom to have a moment. It’s smoky ( a popular profile), from Vietnam (27% tariffs) and is rarer than Green Cardamom, which is already popular in the states. Asian Soul Food fusion places, of which there are far too many, will go nuts with black cardamom collard greens, black cardamom BBQ rubs and black cardamom smoked old fashioneds.