Magazine: Year of the Pig

According to the Chinese horoscope, 2019 is the year of the pig, which is good for creative people who are capable of renewal, who are flexible but don’t make hasty decisions. If we believe this, 2019 is going to be a good year in gastronomy. Globalisation has a huge impact on the Hungarian hospitality sector, so it is worth knowing what is happening in the world of food and cooking at a global level.

The Hungarian restaurant business is in a good condition for adopting the latest international trends. Prices only increased by 6 percent in bars and restaurants last year and the sector managed to keep most of the workers. The number of guests augmented by approximately 10 percent. Presently 13 percent of Hungarians eat in restaurants monthly. In 2018 Onyx got its second Michelin star and the Hungarian team always performs very well at the Bocuse d’Or competitions. Street food joints and to a certain extent even fast food restaurants are catching up with the latest culinary trends, too.

This February Euromonitor International published a study, which says that 2019 is going to be the year when quality beats quantity – at least in the wealthier part of the world. What kind of food will attract consumers? Local, ethical and healthy food. At the same time what people want to eat keeps changing. Experts says that by 2020 the average consumer will know a lot more about the culinary world and healthy eating than they do today. People also want attention and inspiration; they will be less receptive to eating stuff they have been eating for 20 years. Consumers try to integrate various flavours from different parts of the world into their diets.

They want healthy food to be tasty too and they are looking for food that is important for them for some reason (e.g. special diet, gluten-free, etc.) much more consciously than before. As more and more people are becoming vegans or vegetarians, the number or plant-based food innovations is growing. Guests are also more interested in the social responsibility that restaurants or brands are taking. Sustainability and ethical eating are hot topics, just like fair trade. Plastic use is reducing drastically in the world of restaurants, which also plays a role in cutting back on food waste.

Being authentic and environmentally conscious are now very important in high-quality hospitality. Guests want to know not only about where the cooking ingredients come from, but also how they were produced and what kind of health effects they have. Digitalisation is changing the face of the restaurant business for good. Using digital tools and various gadgets increases sales. Self-service kiosks and mobile payment are spreading rapidly. The fast casual category isn’t only growing but making progress as well. Small places that serve quality food keep opening in unusual places such as cinemas, theatres and museums. The proportion of food to be eaten on the go is increasing: sometimes restaurants designate a special place for this purpose, and there are chains which open units that only cook food to be taken away.

Vegetarian cooking seems to be unstoppable now: brands and restaurant concepts are built on the needs of those consumers who have stopped eating meat. This isn’t only about focusing more on vegetables, as protein from plants is becoming more important, too. Everything is trendy that is made by fermentation, be it food or drink. Medical marijuana use is entering the culinary world, it can now frequently be found in foods and drinks alike. The popularity of the cuisines of ex-Soviet countries is on the rise, at the moment Georgia the favourite. West African gastronomy is also trendy, just like ‘real’ Chinese food instead of the westernised Chinese cuisine.

As for drinks, sweet and piquant flavours meet in every type of drink, from coffees to cocktails. Soft drinks made with sugar are now often replaced with flavoured mineral waters. Seasonal and functional ingredients are used more and more frequently in mixing drinks. Honey is making a return – to make foods or drinks sweeter or to give them flavour. Cold brew’s popularity will drop a little. Lagers will enter the craft beer segment. //