TOP FOOD TRENDS FOR 2019
2019 is here! We’ll bet you are as confused as we are about where the last 3 months went. The only thing to do now is to over-design a page in your diary with New Year’s resolutions, and then prepare yourself for all the good meals to come. Here are the food & drink trends Six Degrees LA is most excited for in 2019:
HOLD ON TIGHT
Finger food has been around since, well, the beginning of mankind. It’s no surprise that handheld eats are stealing the spotlight again— on any given Sunday, you can hear your neighbor yelling at Alexa to cancel their second brunch plan as they sprint out the door to hip-hop yoga. Everyone is busier and more active than ever before, and food has to keep up in the New Year.
In LA, Katsu Sando has become the hottest hand-held bite around. Think Uncrustables, but with A5 wagyu chateaubriand between each nostalgic slice of soft milk bread. Coast to coast, street food will continue to get an elevated twist in 2019 — see NYC’s Mr. Bing for more proof that people are hungry for their favorite flavors to come in self-contained packages. (FYI, this Beijing street crepe acts as a delicious wrapper for crispy wontons.)
As the saying goes, one meal in-hand is worth two in the fridge.
“I’m constantly looking for new spots to drop into, but I don’t always have a friend to drag with me. I’ll throw down for a gourmet ingredient if it’s in a convenient hand-held package that I can grab by myself. Street food forever!”
– Jessica (Marketing + Social Coordinator)
PHARM TO TABLE
First, there was the water. Now, CBD is ready to be the biggest revolution in food since gluten-free. We’ve seen coffee, cocktails and even chef’s tasting menus, but in 2019, we’re looking for CBD to show up in foods with a good-for-you attitude that play up its health benefits, and everywhere else.
No surprise, our creative director Josh picked this as his favorite trend for 2019.
“With recreational status sweeping through the world and our recently passed Farm Bill, it’s clear cannabis is the future. Society has been able to step past stoner stereotypes and accept the value of this plant. That makes for a leap in innovation and exploration. We may never have such an important crop or consumable in our lifetime and now we have the freedom to start using it as intended. Oh yeah, and I guess weed have litless potsibilities for word play.”
ALMONDS ARE SO 2017
Oat milk (or mylk, for those worried about dairy farmers) made a splash in the coffee world a few years back, but now we’re watching it go big. We prefer it to pea milk, and graphic designer Uriel is pouring it on his cereal.
“I had given up on the notion of enjoying milk ever again. But then, I was introduced to oat milk at Blue Bottle in Century City. My 10 year streak of no cereal was broken. Hello Cinnamon Toast Crunch! Oat Milk is the closest one so far!”
Only problem? Oat milk is so hot, they can’t make it fast enough. We think we’ll be seeing more of it in 2019.
SEA TO SNACK
We’re known for our stacks of snacks around here, and our 2019 snack obsession just might come from the sea via Trader Joe’s. Sea vegetables have been making waves on fine-dining menus over the past few years, and now they’re moving into the snack world. Puffed water lily seeds, kelp jerky and crispy salmon skins sound strange, but our snacker-in-chief Julie loves their salty, umami burst. For bonus points, they’re super-sustainable and good for the planet.
“Snacking has always been my meal of choice and with a little salt, a little spice and a dose of vitamin C and omega-3’s, and plenty of antioxidants how can you go wrong? It’s now just a way of life. I keep a hidden stash in my office; I take it out after especially long client calls.”
HEALTHY DESSERTS?
We still aren’t totally convinced by the idea of sweet hummus, but we’re on board with restaurant desserts that bring some nutrition along with their decadence. Olive oil on our ice cream or chia seeds in our sweets? Sign us up – in fact, we’ll be first in line for The Pie Hole’s new blood orange yogurt pie in January.
“After two years of working out everyday and meal prepping for my work week, I think it’s safe to say that I’ve fallen victim of the health trend that everyone in LA seems to be following. Dessert getting a “better for you spin” gives me an excuse to eat a dessert and pretend that it is “guilt free”. A little sugar never hurt nobody, right?”
–Kara (Creative Assistant)
FEEDING THE WORLD
Restaurants have long been quick to respond to the disasters in their neighborhoods, but when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico in 2017, no one expected that it would be chefs that came to the rescue. It was Jose Andres and his NGO Central World Kitchen who stepped up when traditional relief organizations were struggling to respond to the devastation. Since then, we’ve watched as his kitchens and ones from other chefs have been mobilized not to distant lands, but to our own backyard. Guy Fieri made headlines when he helped during last year’s fires, but we’re seeing more and more chefs taking to the front lines—with cooks lining up to volunteer and kitchens sprouting in parking lots.
“As these disasters become the new abnormal, chefs dish up comfort and camaraderie in the form of countless hot meals, on the firelines and at the California border.”
-Amanda (Marketing Strategy)
We look forward to the time when our heroes don’t need to come out of the kitchen to step up and save the world. In the meantime, we’re happy to live in a world where chefs get Nobel Peace prizes.
FROM OUR SIX DEGREES LA TEAM TO YOURS, WARM WISHES & GOOD DISHES IN THE NEW YEAR!
