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These Food and Drink Trends Are Coming to a Kitchen Near You

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These Food and Drink Trends Are Coming to a Kitchen Near You


For one weekend a year, tastemakers from around the world head to Colorado for the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. For three days (Sept. 10–12 this year), chefs like Martha Stewart, Guy Fieri, Melissa King, Kwame Onwuachi, Andrew Zimmern, Rodney Scott, and Justin Chapple host a series of live cooking demonstrations while wine experts like Mark Oldman, Garrett Oliver, and Alpana Singh lead guided tastings. After that, attendees sample dynamic nibbles and free-flowing wine in the Grand Tasting Pavilion. It’s exactly as opulent as it sounds.

 

 

But it’s not just a party. The Classic has historically served as a food trends forecaster and a great place to discover talent before it gets broadly recognized by everybody else. Because many of the usual 5,000 attendees (reduced to 2,500 this year due to COVID-19 measures) are involved in the food and beverage industry, those trends are accelerated—attendees bring their new favorites home and often share them with their communities.

“Chefs exist in a sort of ecosystem, so when you see something at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, those are going to be the first signs of trends that we’re going to see throughout the industry in the next year or two,” Mary-Frances Heck, a senior food editor at Food & Wine, told Men’s Journal.

Wondering what the next big food and beverage trends will be? Here’s a look at what might be coming to your table soon.

The Biggest Food and Drink Trends to Know

1. Plant-Based Meat and Dairy Alternatives

If you were to guess what celebrity chef Guy Fieri was dishing up at his seminar, you’d likely wager that the creation would be meat-based, cheese-heavy, and wildly over-the-top. In this case, you’d only be partially correct. Fieri did make an extravagant burger—but it was entirely vegan. The patty was created from vegetables and his signature cheese sauce was crafted from flax egg, cashews, and brewer’s yeast. Even in a crowd of carnivores, it was a hit. It was also far from the only plant-based treat on offer throughout the weekend.

“I think plant-based cooking is an undeniable trend,” Heck said. “Now it’s really crave-able and chefs who traditionally haven’t hung their hat on plant-based cooking are getting into it and having fun with it.”

2. CBD

Cannabis has been legal in Colorado since 2014, but it has only recently begun to appear at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. This year its presence was even larger.

Lord Jones brought luxury, small-batch, hemp-derived CBD gumdrops. Ocean Spray formally debuted its new CBD-infused sparkling water, CarryOn, at the Classic. The brand has two varieties—blueberry-flavored Relax and grapefruit-forward Recover—both of which contain 20mg of CBD. And Red Belly Honey, a brand that uses bees to craft a one-of-a-kind nectar and hemp hybrid, used its honey to make some tasty venison lemongrass skewers.

“They were all striking, both for their purported health properties but also for having great taste,” Heck said.

The presence of so many CBD brands shows that the stigma that has long surrounded cannabis is diminishing, at least somewhat. It wouldn’t be surprising if more restaurants incorporated CBD-infused ingredients into their dishes.

3. Sustainable Practices

Sustainability and its synonyms have been the buzzwords du jour in the food and drink sphere in recent years. If the Classic is any indication, it’s only going to become more popular. In cooking demos, wine tastings, and within the tasting pavilion, hosts frequently touted their sustainable practices.

One of the driving factors, says Heck, is that people are generally becoming more interested in knowing where their food comes from and how it’s sourced.

The seminar that delved most deeply into sustainability was the “Wine for a Healthy Planet” seminar, led by Ray Isle, executive wine editor at Food & Wine. It explored what it means to be organic, biodynamic, and regenerative in the wine industry, whether or not that changes how the wine tastes (answer: generally for the better), and why it’s important to get climate change under control (answer: so we can continue to have good wine).

4. Premium Canned Wine

In the past, canned wines have gotten a bad rap. The earliest iterations were mass-marketed and the juice within wasn’t particularly high-quality. That’s changing, though.

“Winemakers who are really smart and really ambitious are seeing what they can do with this canned format,” Isle said, adding that there were multiple booths at the Grand Tastings that were slinging some pretty remarkable canned wines. Want to try one? Check out Sans Wine Company, which specializes in organic wines and has several canned varieties on offer.

It also plays into sustainability—canned wine has a significantly lower carbon footprint than wine that’s sold in glass bottles.

5. More Mezcal

Given the name, it makes sense that the Classic used to exclude liquor and beer, but in recent years the organizers have started branching out beyond wine. One of the most prominent alcoholic beverages at the 2021 event was mezcal (including Doña Vega above). Isle argued that there has been more public interest in the agave-based spirit recently, and Heck noted that many varieties of mezcal have gained an increased appreciation as sipping spirits.

6. Fruit- and Vegetable-Forward Desserts

Rustic apple crostata with a cheddar cheese crust, pumpkin milk pie, and red grape cake with whipped creme fraiche were a few of the desserts that domestic phenom Martha Stewart brought to the table during her seminar (aptly titled “Fruit Desserts”). But she was far from the only chef who used fruits and vegetables to make sweet treats. Pastry chef Paola Velez (who was named one of the Best New Chefs of 2021) served plantain sticky buns during one of the tasting events. Similarly, chef Thessa Diadem’s sweet potato sticky bun was used in marketing materials throughout the weekend. You might encounter similar delicacies on a dessert menu soon: Heck said she expects to see a wider variety of fruits and veggies incorporated into desserts served at restaurants in the future.

7. Elevated Comfort Food

In many restaurants, grilled cheese is often relegated to the kids’ menu. In chef Brooke Williamson’s kitchen (or more specifically, in her seminar “Not Your Mama’s Grilled Cheese”), it’s doctored up with onions caramelized in fish sauce, charred kale, and bourbon tempura onion rings. The following morning, chef Kristen Kish did a riff on another kid favorite, the fillet of fish sandwich. During her seminar, the handheld was given a fine dining execution using steamed fish, a caper sauce in place of the traditional tartar, and phyllo dough instead of a burger bun.

“[One trend is] looking at what people are really craving and giving it to them in a new and exciting way,” Heck said, adding that many flavor profiles on display at the event had elements of nostalgia and familiarity.

8. Diverse Kitchens

Every year, Aspen Food & Wine recognizes the best new chefs (past winners include chefs like David Chang, Thomas Keller, and Michael Symon). While there were some outliers previously, the list often featured mainly straight, white men. This year, however, the list includes Matt Horn, a Black pitmaster; Thessa Diadem, a Filipina pastry chef; Fermín Núñez, a Latino masa master; Angel Barreto, a Black Puerto Rican chef who helms a contemporary Korean restaurant; and Ji Hye Kim, a Korean chef, among others.

“That platform has always always tried to anticipate trends in the food world, both in terms of what’s being put on the plate and in terms of who’s putting it there,” Isle said. “If you look at this group of best new chefs and compare it to say, 20 years ago, it’s vastly more diverse. That represents a huge trend of what’s happening in the restaurant world as a whole.”


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10 Best Porters to Drink Right Now

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A bottle of Deschutes Black Butte Porter




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Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

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Barbell Back Squat


The key to 360-degree muscle: 90-degree eccentric isometrics. It might seem like we’re throwing a lot of geometry at you, but the concept behind time under tension (TUT) is simple, says Joel Seedman, PhD, owner of Advanced Human Performance: “Perform the lowering phase of a movement in a slow, controlled fashion, usually 3 to 5 seconds; pause in the stretched position, typically around 90 degrees; then perform the lifting phase in a powerful yet controlled fashion.” Believe us, a time-under-tension workout can humble even seasoned lifters…Eccentric isometrics are like the pressure cooker of training.

“Rather than mindlessly performing slow-tempo reps, you’re using the increased time under tension as a means to fine-tune your body mechanics and alignment, which requires more mental engagement and focus,” Seedman adds.

If you want to forge functional muscle mass and strength while simultaneously bulletproofing the joints and connective tissue, give this 10-move, full-body eccentric isometrics workout a go.

Directions

Perform the following moves as 90-degree eccentric isometrics following the above protocol. Use heavy weight, but not at the detriment of proper form. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and 2 minutes between circuits. Perform once every 2 to 4 days for optimal results.

Best Time-Under-Tension Workout for Total-Body Strength

Circuit 1

Marius Bugge

A. Barbell Back Squat

Set a squat rack up with heavy weight, then grasp bar and step under it. Squeeze shoulder blades together, then stand to unrack bar and step back with feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale, hinge at hips and slowly bend knees to 90 degrees. Pause, keeping natural arch in low back, then extend through hips to powerfully stand. 3 x 4-6 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts renegade row
Marius Bugge

B. Renegade Row

Start in the top position of a pushup with hands shoulder-width apart on moderate-to-heavy dumbbells (shown). Explosively drive right elbow back to row dumbbell toward ribs while balancing on opposite hand and feet. Pause, then slowly lower weight, stopping a few inches above floor. Switch sides after all reps are done. 3 x 5 reps each side

Circuit 2

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing renegade row Dumbbell Bentover Row in gym
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bentover Row

Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in front of thighs, palms facing you. Push hips back and hinge torso forward so it’s nearly parallel to floor, soft bend in knees. Dumbbells should be near shins. Drive elbows back to row weights toward ribs. Pause, then slowly lower down for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 
Marius Bugge

B. Incline Dumbbell Chest Press with Legs Raised 

Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back with dumbbells in either hand. Engage core and lift legs off floor, flexing feet. Press weights overhead, palms in. Slowly lower to 90 degrees, staying tight and compact. Pause, then drive weights up directly over chest. 3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 3

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat
Marius Bugge

A. Dumbbell Bulgarian Squat

Stand lunge-length in front of a flat bench, holding heavy dumbbells in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Rest the ball on top (shoe’s laces) of your right foot behind you on the bench. Slowly lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Pause, then drive through your heel to stand. Switch sides after all reps are complete. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Single-leg Romanian Deadlift
Marius Bugge

B. Single-leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand with feet hip-width apart holding dumbbells or kettlebells. Drive right leg up, foot flexed, knee aligned with hip, making a 90-degree angle. Hinge at hips as you slowly lever your torso toward floor, lowering weights and driving right leg back for counterbalance. Hold, then squeeze glutes to reverse. 2 x 3-4 reps each side

Circuit 4

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing pullup
Marius Bugge

A. Pullup

Hang from a pullup bar using an overhand grip with legs extended and feet flexed. Engage lats and draw shoulders down your back, then pull yourself up until chin is higher than hands. Pause at the top, then slowly lower. Pause at bottom, then reset before your next rep. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Athletic man wearing gray T-shirt and maroon shorts doing Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press
Marius Bugge

B. Kneeling Overhead Barbell Press

Hold a bar with moderate-to-heavy load at shoulder level with forearms perpendicular to floor. Kneel at end of bench with feet flexed to grip edge for support. Inhale, engage your core and glutes, then press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward so it passes your face, exhaling at the top.
Slowly lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then hold to maintain tension. Begin your next rep from here. 2-3 x 4-5 reps

Circuit 5

A. Dumbbell Pushup

Place hands on dumbbells (this provides greater range of motion) at shoulder width and feet wider than shoulder width with just toes touching the ground. Keep head neutral and hips high to increase tension on core, chest and tris and reduce stress on spine. Slowly lower to the floor. Stop
once elbows hit 90 degrees, pause, then push up to start. 1-2 x 6-8 reps

B. Biceps Curl

Stand with feet hip-width apart with moderate-to-heavy dumbbells in each hand hanging by sides. Engage biceps to curl the weights up, keeping upper arms still. Pause at the top, then lower slowly. Don’t let arms drop all the way down to keep greater time under tension on biceps. 1-2 x 6-8 reps


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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout

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The Best Jump Ropes for a Killer Cardio Workout




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