From Big Steaks to “Fricy” Foods, These are the Hottest Foods & Drinks of the Year
By Dan Myers
2026 is officially underway, and with 2025 behind us, we can reflect on the year’s biggest food trends.
It was the year that Dubai Chocolate, with its crisp knafeh and gooey pistachio cream, seemed to reach
peak saturation, in our feeds and in our supermarkets. “Foodmaxxing” was all the rage, from
electrolyte-enhanced and prebiotic-infused drinks to extra protein showing up in everything from pasta
to candy bars. And did someone say matcha?
But with the new year comes the opportunity to gaze once again into the crystal ball and think about
the gourmet food trends to look forward to in the year ahead. We expect certain trends of the past
year, like the steakhouse revival and caviar’s moment in the sun, to continue, while certain trends
that have been lurking under the radar will finally bubble up to the surface. Here are 10 gourmet food
trends to look forward to in 2026.
Real Meat
It wasn’t so long ago when it seemed as if highly processed “plant-based” meat alternatives like Beyond Meat
and Impossible would be the wave of the future, fated to make a serious dent in the amount of meat people
consume. But that trend collided head-on with one emphasizing real, simple, unprocessed foods, and meat is,
well, exactly that.
And if we’re celebrating something at home, we’re going to be digging into a
steak – and we’ll be cooking more
wagyu steaks and fancy burgers, too.
Caviar
Caviar was seemingly everywhere last year – atop chicken nuggets and potato
chips, eaten in “bump” format right off the hand, stirred into pastas, and delicately mounded atop
traditional blinis. Fancy restaurants have been adding traditional caviar services to their menus for guests
who want to feel like high-rollers, and it’s the ultimate luxury to serve at a party. We don’t see this
trend slowing down, so expect even more restaurants to offer a dollop atop just about anything for an added
fee, and more Americans educating themselves on the subtle differences between American White Sturgeon Caviar
and Osetra Golden Imperial Caviar at home.
Cabbage
Move over, cauliflower; it’s cabbage’s time to shine. Whether pan-seared, fermented, stewed, kimchi’d,
shredded, salad-ified, or stuffed,
cabbage is finally getting its rightful moment in the spotlight.
It also helps that it’s very low in carbs, high in fiber, wonderfully crunchy when raw, incredibly versatile,
and has such a mild flavor that it takes well to just about any flavoring.
High-End Vinegars & Fish Sauces
The days of generic “red wine vinegar” are behind us, if we want them to be. More and more vinegars and
strongly-flavored fermented sauces like
fish sauce and garum are available for home cooks, and we’re finding
more and more ways to integrate them into our cooking. From Japanese pickling vinegar to banyuls wine vinegar
to date vinegar to saba, from Italian colatura di alici to Thai fish sauce, there’s a whole pantry’s worth of
flavorful vinegars and fish sauces to discover. Not to mention aged balsamic, which is a whole other universe.
Southeast Asian Flavors
While we’re on the subject of fish sauce, there’s good reason why Southeast Asian restaurants are some of the
trendiest and most popular in the country: The flavors are big, bold, and spicy; the experience is fun and
lively; the cooking methods are complex and novel to many; and the ingredients are new and intriguing, as well.
From deeply flavorful curries and spicy whole fish, to endless unique seafood preparations and some of the
finest drinking foods on earth (and great beers and cocktails to wash them down with), it’s high time more of
us discovered the flavor bomb of Southeast Asian cuisine. Expect to see more home cooks discovering ingredients
like palm sugar, Thai soy sauce, and exotic spice blends.
Classics, Reborn
Beef Wellington – traditionally, a whole beef tenderloin wrapped up with mushroom duxelles and a pastry crust,
perhaps with prosciutto and/or a crepe – is the definition of culinary luxury, which is having a moment (see
steak and caviar above). It’s part of a larger trend of Nouveau Retro, in which younger generations are
discovering the wonders of upscale foods that had their moment decades ago, ones that also happen to lend
themselves very well to dinner parties. Along with everything Wellington, expect to see more coq au vin, duck
à l’orange, osso buco, and baked Alaska.
Expect to see more classics, reborn with a twist. As we seek out familiar comfort, look for more top-quality,
refined versions of foods that feel familiar and make us feel nostalgic.
“Fricy” Foods
If you’ve ever enjoyed a spicy margarita or mango slices with a sprinkle of tangy Tajin, then you already know
that “fricy” – a combination of fruity and spicy – is catching on in a big. Way Drawing inspiration from Latin
American and Southeast Asian cuisine, fricy foods have big, bold, addictively delicious flavors and unique
combinations. To see for yourself, seek out
yuzu kosho, a Japanese paste of fermented citrus and chile pepper.
Smaller Portions
Nearly one in eight American adults say that they are currently taking a GLP-1 for weight loss, and not only is
it making a dent in the obesity rate, it’s also affecting portion sizes. Expect to see more restaurants offering
half-portions for those who are looking to eat (and pay) less for their meals, as well as smaller pre-portioned
snacks and nutrition bars.
Fibermaxxing
If 2025 was all about protein, expect to see more fiber in 2026. Dietary fiber is crucial for digestive health,
weight management, blood sugar control, and lowering the risk of certain cancers. Incredibly, it’s estimated
that more than 95 percent of Americans don’t get the recommended daily serving of fiber, which can come from
whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds like sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds, and legumes like
beans and peas. Expect to see more people making a concerted effort to add more fiber to their diet, and more
processed food brands trying to figure out a way to add more fiber to their offerings.
Mocktails
Alcohol consumption is on the decline among younger generations, and non-alcoholic drinks and
mocktails are having a major moment. No longer just a couple fruit
juices topped off with club soda, mocktails are now just as refined and complex as their boozy brethren, made
with fruit purees and a wide variety of new alcohol alternatives.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is having a moment as well, as more people are looking to
incorporate healthy fats into their diets – and its status as a healthy fat is well-known. From adding
lemon-infused olive oil to salad dressings to discovering imported extra virgin olive oils from Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Italy, and beyond – each with their own unique flavor profiles – there’s a whole world of olive oil
to discover, and the applications are infinite.
Citrus Everything
Lemon, lime, and orange aren’t going anywhere any time soon, but just like more of us are discovering the magic
of tropical fruits, we’re also being exposed to more exotic citrus fruits like pomelo, yuzu, and calamansi.
Whether infused into waters, cocktails, sodas, sauces, vinaigrettes, or turned into marmalade, expect to see
more of these vibrant, aromatic fruits (and products made with them) coming to a market near you.
If these trends tend to have a couple things in common, it’s that they’re emphasizing big, new flavor
experiences with an eye toward health and good nutrition. And honestly, that sounds pretty good to us.