What’s on your dinner plate today is influenced by a number of factors – the time of the year, your lifestyle, where you reside and so on. The food world has seen a number of trends in the past few years, some like molecular gastronomy that have wowed gourmands and others that have seen humble ingredients like millets shine under the spotlight.
2018 has already seen critics and experts making their predictions in the field of gastronomy. Noted food writer Vir Sanghvi says, “Indians now go to restaurants more for the experience than just the food. But the food we cook and eat at home is more varied and adventurous than at any other time in history.”
As a Group with multiple interests in the food business, the Godrej Group has worked with experts in the field to put together the Godrej Food Trends Report 2018.
This report comprises inputs from over 50 chefs, bloggers, health experts, mixologists and even media professionals. “We at Godrej have been a part of the food ecosystem through many of our businesses: Godrej Nature’s Basket, Godrej Tyson Foods, Godrej Appliances, Godrej Interio and Cartini. This report is our effort to bring together trends and predictions from stalwarts in the industry in a manner that the consumer can relate to,” explains Sujit Patil, Vice President & Head of Corporate Brand and Communications, Godrej Industries Limited and Group Companies.
“We have carefully collected and curated opinions from thought leaders in the food industry, these are individuals whose actions shape the way we eat and drink. Looking at our findings, I can say that 2018 promises to be phenomenal,” adds Rushina Munshaw-Ghildiyal, Managing Director, A Perfect Bite Consulting LLP.
Some of the broad findings are:
Top Predictions
– Indian millets to become the ‘hottest’ ingredients in the world
– Increasing demand for regional flavours
– Buddha Bowls to make more frequent appearances
Top Trends
– Among Indian cuisine, North Eastern fare (74 per cent) is set to emerge as a strong favourite followed by Bengali and Kerala cuisine (38 per cent each)
– Foodies will show a strong preference to buy millets and alternative grains (71 per cent) while shopping, with indigenous ingredients voted as a favourite
– Top appliances that consumers would like to invest in are: Grills and BBQ sets, induction cookware and smart gadgets like refrigerators
– The hip superfood Moringa (64 per cent) will find its place on shopping lists in India too
– Among beverages, locally brewed/artisan varieties (58 per cent) will find more takers