Dive Brief:
- Sustainably sourced ingredients and dishes that use Korean and Vietnamese flavors will be popular in 2025, according to a report forecasting trends from the National Restaurant Association.
- The NRA surveyed a number of industry professionals about macro, culinary and beverage trends for the report, asking them to rank more than 70 potential trends as hot, not hot or as emerging.
- Alongside Vietnamese and Korean foods, the NRA expects Filipino cuisine, customized croissant sandwiches and dishes that prominently incorporate mushrooms will see a strong 2025.
Dive Insight:
The NRA said that more than 70% of counties in the United States already have at least one Asian restaurant, with Chinese, Japanese and Thai proving notably popular — the latter as a partial result of Thailand’s gastrodiplomacy. But greater consumer familiarity with Asian flavors profiles is leading to a proliferation of restaurants from the region’s other countries.
“Consumers are digging into the unique ingredients/flavor profiles, potential wellness benefits, and serving styles of cuisines from throughout [East and Southeast] Asia,” the report states, citing fermented ingredients like kimchi, and bold flavors like peppers, as drivers of consumer interest.
South Korea’s cultural output has been particularly important in driving culinary awareness.
“Korean- or K-dramas have a distinctive niche in global entertainment, including in the U.S.; combined with popular new Korean cooking competitions, and food documentaries, viewers have become especially curious about Korean food traditions and innovations,” the report said.
Korean chains like Bonchon and Gen Korean BBQ have been plotting significant growth. Bonchon plans to double its U.S. store count by 2028. Gen Korean BBQ went public last year and has since grown to 41 units as of the third quarter, up from 32 at the time of its IPO.
Beyond geographical specificity, flavors like fermented or pickled foods and ingredients, like hot honey or spicy maple, that blend sugar with spice will continue to be popular next year, the NRA noted.
The NRA’s report also noted that sustainability and cold brew coffee are top consumer preferences heading into 2025.
