NRA Study Highlights top Culinary and Operational Trends for 2012

Published on Friday, December 16, 2011
Written by The Editors

ACF member chefs share their industry perspectives through this annual research.

The National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot in 2012" survey of nearly 1,800 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – shed some light on a series of culinary and food prep trends that are certain to shape the foodservice industry in 2012.

With that in mind, here are the top 10 food prep and culinary themes for 2012 according to the NRA.

Preparation Methods

  1. Pickling
  2. Fermenting
  3. Sous vide
  4. Liquid nitrogen chilling/freezing
  5. Oil-poaching
  6. Smoking
  7. Braising
  8. Grilling
  9. Roasting
  10. Foam/froth/air

Culinary Themes

  1. Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)
  2. Sustainability
  3. Children's nutrition
  4. Gluten-free/food allergy conscious
  5. Farm/estate-branded ingredients
  6. Food trucks/street food
  7. Health/nutrition
  8. Simplicity/back to basics
  9. Food-alcohol pairings
  10. Foraging
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2012 Best In Class Winners
See who FE&S readers named this year’s Best In Class winners. Manufacturers were evaluated for product quality, product value, product design and aesthetics, service and support, sales reps, product inventory and available product information. Click here to see the complete results.

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