Before kale was kale, it primarily functioned as a decorative accent on the Pizza Hut salad bar. But that was before everyone learned of its antioxidant benefits, when people starting writing kale cookbooks and farm production of kale rose 60% between 2007-2012 to meet demand for the leafy green.
Kale
is not an anomaly in the produce section, as every once in a while a
fruit or vegetable will capture the attention of the American public at
large, and interest in it will skyrocket. We spoke to two analysts who
study food trends in America to help figure out the next fruits and
veggies you’ll be obsessed with.
It
used to be that chefs would solely dictate the food trends. That’s not
the case anymore, according to Melissa Abbott, vice president of
culinary insights for The Hartman Group.
“The best way to understand where trends are coming from is looking
toward the progressive consumer, the one who is proselytizing about
anything and everything,” Abbott said. “I don’t call them foodies ―
they’re culinary obsessives. We spend a lot of time with them, and the
chefs that are really pushing the envelope. We’ll look at their menus,
look at their pantries and fridges.”
Social
media also has an effect on what will be the next fruits and veggies to
capture the public’s interest. Chefs scroll through Instagram looking
for the next new food, and trends also come from unexpected sources.
“We’re even seeing agriculture playing a bigger role,” Abbott said.
“Anthropologists are out in the jungle finding amazing things in the
Amazon or Peru. It’s not just chefs anymore. It’s coming from all
places.”
And with that, here are the fruits and veggies that are predicted to soon be on the tips of everyone’s tastebuds:
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