Six Food & Beverage Narratives for 2019
Food. It’s eternally on our minds and becomes a more intriguing topic (and industry) year over year. As the advancement of technology and social media reshapes the world we know, food will always be the focal point of our lives. We begin to see the influence of tech in our lives, with robots taking over service jobs, people eager to explore culture through cuisine, and White Castle selling vegan plant-based burgers by IMPOSSIBLE Foods.
With this shift seen in 2018, we look at the year ahead and share five food trends to watch out for.
1. Yemeni Cuisine
Yemen, located on the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a gorgeous country with a pristine mountainous landscape, diverse biodiversity, and rich culture. As a young Yemeni-American teen, traveling Yemen was an experience that humbles you. The generosity and excitement locals expressed to me will never be forgotten. Being serenaded upon entering the new villages, welcomed into people’s homes with the utmost love and served a family feast; because it’s what Yemenis do.
But those details rarely make it into the media. Most of what people know is a war-torn and famine-ridden country and as we hear more about Yemen, my goal is to create awareness of the Yemeni culture through cuisine. And a few spots already do that with pride.
Yemeni cuisine is a culinary adventure and Yemen Cafe in Brooklyn is an NYC experience you must partake in. A staple eatery that placed Yemeni cuisine on the map. With sizzling dishes, large disks of fresh bread, and off the bone lamb and chicken rice dishes; this is a food culture experience like no other. The dishes are served and designed to be enjoyed by friends and family together, communal style dining. If you want to do it traditional Yemeni style, feast with your hands.
Here’s a coffee fact about Yemen you may not know. An Islamic scholar in Yemen discovered the coffee bean, he boiled the beans and created what we know today as “mocha” coffee. For 150 years after that, Yemen was the exclusive coffee exporter to the world with all coffee shipped out of the region via the Port of Mokha, on the Red Sea. And because of that, we have coffee in our morning cups and a surplus of gentrified coffee shops in Brooklyn.
To learn more about Yemeni coffee, check out Port of Mokha, an impact-startup founded by a young Yemeni-American from San Francisco whose passion led him to travel across war-torn Yemen to revive the coffee industry by empowering local coffee farmers. We encourage you to read and taste Yemeni coffee here.
2. Esoteric Seasoning & Sauces
The internet of things is making cooking less messy, more enjoyable, and easy to learn. As we devote more time in the kitchen cooking it up, spices and sauces are essential to making a culinary masterpiece that can battle with Bobby Flay.
Fairtrade and artisan spice retailers are serving a growing market and we have a few who have been making noise in NYC. Burlap & Barrel sources beautiful spices partnering with global artisan farmers. Their eclectic collection is made up of single origin spices like Wild Icelandic Kelp, Cured Sumac grown in Gaziantep, Turkey, and Black Urfa Chili. Makin’ a huge feast next time, visit their colorful shop of global spices to give your guests a unique flavor experience. Spice Tree Organics handles the leaf to grind process as they source, toast, grind and package spices for consumers to have them at peak freshness. Unlike the spices found on supermarket shelves, Spice Tree Organics has zero additives or preservatives. These small batch productions feature the worlds most aromatic blends including Moroccan Ras al Hanout, Mexico City Barbacoa, and Beirut’s Za’atar.
Sauce, never too much of it. We cherish it and drench it on our tacos, banh mi sandwiches, and in our soups. To get away from the traditional sriracha and Tabasco, we look to the boutique sauce makers who are making delicious moves. Silly Chilly Hot Sauce, the founder Sufia Hossain, works with local New Jersey farms to source the chilis for her outstanding hot sauce selection. And if hot sauce isn’t your thing, a delicious alternative is the tomato achaar by Brooklyn Delhi.
3. The Bronx is Burning Again… in the Kitchen
It’s on the map, and whether you know it or not, it’s time to recognize the talent and culture that oozes from The Bronx. Their direction is unique in that they focus on “gentefication”, gentrification by the people. Gente, the Spanish word for people, aimed to spotlight local communities with local culture at the root of the experience. Putting the power back in the hands of those who inhabit the communities. And it’s making noise attracting people to explore The Bronx and eliminating the stigma put on this culturally rich borough.
Komeeda Chef Showdown Champion, Andres Sen Sang is a culinary wizard and brings delicious innovation to the Highbridge section of the Bronx. A Peruvian-Asian fusion restaurant, piano bar, and lounge, Suyo Gastrofusion takes you to the future of cuisine in the Bronx led by native Bronxers.
Want an underground culinary experience, check out Trill Cooker’s pop-up dinner series. Chef Jose de Jesus, a Hell’s Kitchen competition alumni is an energetic and ambitious culinary artist from the Bronx who personifies his community. We connected with Jose and attended his dinners, which are on point. We encourage you to get a taste of the Bronx at his upcoming experiences here.
4. Plant-Based Foods
With technology advancing at leaps and bounds, global scientists are beginning to crack the code on alternative ways to create “meat” without the meat. IMPOSSIBLE Foods have been on a rogue campaign to get people onboard with the wave of veganism. Beyonce & Jay-Z encouraged their fans to join the pledge towards plant-based nutrition. We’ve been hearing vegans telling us they’re vegans for years now, and their persistence has begun to hook the masses. Persistence does work! I’ve drastically curbed my meat consumption, I feel more energized thanks to it.
Be on the lookout for cooks pioneering this niche bringing high-level creativity with ingredients new and old. Fortunately, the perception of vegan cuisine will have a revival thanks in large to the next generation of culinary innovators. For example, Gianna Ciaramello an ambassador of nutritious eating and healthy living has found a gateway to bring both her passions together through cookbooks, Rabbit Food & The Mello Cookbook. Her aim is to remove the stigma around the terms “vegan” and “plant-based” through beautiful, savory and flavorful recipes. She is also a pretty dope product designer and a strong Instagram following of people looking to learn more about this cuisine and lifestyle.
5. Armenian Cuisine
Parts Unknown published Liana Aghajanian’s piece “ What is Armenian Food? Depends on Who You Ask”. Millennial Armenians are bringing the food they grew up with to fellow Americans, and the cuisine’s identity is up for debate as you’ll read in Liana’s piece.
You won’t find many genuine Armenian eateries in the city, but there’s one that’s in the Mecca of authentic cuisine, Queens New York! Sevan in Bayside is one of the rare Armenian eateries in NYC and a well-received business by local food writers at The Queens Tribune ( Savan review by Jared Cohee ). Be on the lookout for more stories and perspectives of Armenian culture. Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit and boo to Queen Serena Williams has launched an Armenian Brandy brand and doing pretty well.
6. Cannabis Infused Cuisine & Foods
As the states begin to legalize marijuana and the feds ready to make big bucks from hemp, we’re going into a “green rush”. High dining is becoming a thing and people who don’t enjoy smoking find consumption as an alternative mode of getting elevated. That means an opportunity of high proportions (ok, done with the puns) for chefs, restaurants, and food entrepreneurs looking to mark their place in the cannabis cuisine space.
Chef Alex Magloire II leads Komeeda’s Elev8'd Eats pop-up dinners, bringing his creative culinary craft to new challenges and infusing THC & CBD into his dishes. Using infused oil, butter, honey, and agave, all carefully made by artisan canna-entrepreneur Kreaky. Chef Alex caters his dinners for vegans and meat eaters so that everyone can enjoy an evening of elevated dining with Komeeda. For those who have the sweet tooth, DC Baked & Fried have the best THC infused cakes, cookies and brittles on this side of the Atlantic.
This is Komeeda’s six-point trend for 2019.
What’s your take on it?
And what are some trends you foresee rising in the mainstream?
As for Komeeda in 2019, we will be rolling out experiences throughout the year. If you would like to learn about upcoming events, local stories, and resources on culinary entrepreneurs, sign up here.
One Love.
Jabber Al-Bihani Jr.
Founder, CEO
Komeeda
Redefining the Culture of Food.
