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Foam and flavor top the list of food trends for 1999
December 29, 1998
Web posted at: 12:50 p.m. EST (1750 GMT)
(CNN) -- 1998 was packed with chili peppers, trendy oils and cup after cup of frothy coffee. So what will 1999 put in our kitchens?
Dianne Keeler Bruce runs DKB Consulting, which tracks food trends across the nation. In her report for 1999, she predicts the most popular foods will be healthy and light. "We are more conscious of our bodies, and how food impacts the way we feel. As a result we'll want lighter, more flavorful and healthful food -- but we'll want indulgences, too," Keeler Bruce says.
Some of the changes she believes we'll soon see in our diets:
- Luxury -- Look for specialty meats such as foie gras, caviar and truffles to become more widely available as gourmet food shops continue to grow. Keep an eye out for the arrival of Fauchon, the shop for Parisian goodies.
- Soul food -- as in food that's good for your soul. Soy and other nutritious foods will comfort the health conscious, while indulgences such as desserts and luxury foods will ease others.
- Flavor -- Fewer fats in our diet will prompt us to create new flavor combinations such as citrus fruit or vanilla with meat (instead of butter), figs in extra virgin olive oil, and honey spruced up with truffles.
- Sweets -- Specialty sugars will be thrust into the limelight as pastry chefs use demerara sugars to accent their desserts. Muscovado with molasses overtones will appear in marinades and barbecue sauces, and organic sugars will be coupled with organic teas.
- Foam -- Just as coffees with whipped toppings captured our palates, frothy main dishes and soups will be served in 1999. Look for foamy vegetables sauces, beverages and desserts too.
- Potatoes -- American growers and consumers will explore differences in potato varieties and dishes to further boost this already-popular staple.
- "Nutraceuticals" -- ie, foods with body-enhancing properties such as vitamin absorption. Watch for natural nutraceuticals, such as broccoli, along with foods enhanced with traditional herbs such as Gingko and St. John's Wort.
Before heading DKB Consulting, Keeler Bruce worked for Dayton Hudson Marketplace Foods, The Grand Union Co. and Dean & DeLuca Importers.
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