What and how will we eat this 2022

The back from the snack, although more sophisticated, or the arrival of powerful new international franchises In front of one cuisine that looks at tradition with new eyes and prices are some of the gastronomic trends of this 2022, according to experts consulted by Efe.

New franchises

The queues since last fall in front of the first place in Spain of Jollibee, the Philippine fast food giant with its fried chicken ‘chikenjoy’ as its flag, herald the arrival of new international franchises “very powerful economically” and aimed at “highly segmented audiences”, says David Basilio, Director of Operations of the consultancy specialized in hospitality Linkers Consulting.

The high rents in downtown areas that drive out traditional restaurants attract these macro-companies, which combine street business with food delivery and are backed by success in other countries thanks to well-defined concepts such as Louisiana-style chicken from the American Popeyes, in the process of expansion in our country.

Back to snack

Pastries, sandwiches or dumplings become the stars of the recovered snack, which will be “more sophisticated” than those of the children of the ‘baby boom’ or of the ‘generation X’ and will extend to more ages, with quality pastries and breads and an average ticket of between 8 and 12 euros, announces Basilio.

“The pandemic has accelerated that people stay earlier and the ‘coffee bars’ (cafeteria and store) that emerged strongly 7 or 8 years ago have evolved to meet that demand that makes us European or brings us closer to Latin America, where it is they have preserved these customs, “he adds.

Tradition as a challenge

It is no coincidence that one of the first gastronomic books of this year is ‘Terrines, rillettes, sausages and patés en croûte’ (Planet Gastro), which brings the traditional French delicatessen of the Maison Verot in Paris closer to the houses, a trend that the Spanish haute cuisine has begun to recover.

After the “technological rush” that defined a good part of the sector, there has been a certain exhaustion and professionals “look at ancient techniques to make them creative, refreshing their classic cuisine; If before the new techniques were the challenge, now it is recover what you have not done for 20 years“, argues Jorge Bretón, coordinator of the kitchen area of ​​the University of Gastronomic Sciences Basque Culinary Center (San Sebastián).

Hence the custards return with tremulous vigor and the stews replenish the tone like yesteryear. “People want to eat delicious and traditional but they have had enough of cooking at home during the pandemic,” adds David Basilio, who jokes that “if grandmothers saw what a good plate of lentils is worth in a restaurant, they would fall on their backs. “even if the customer” pays for it at ease.

Why are traditional dishes, yes, but better stewed and with ingredients the most chosen ones that will take center stage in our restaurants and They will become a single dish that replaces the usual menu of the day for first, second and dessert.

vegetal kingdom

The maturations that were applied to meat and fish reach the increasingly demanded plant world, as well as smoked, fermentations and other techniques originally conceived for conservation and now developed in search of different textures and flavors, says Jorge Bretón, who studies new trends to incorporate them into the training of students.

The alternative proteins – “a carrot chistorra that 99% of those who taste it do not differentiate it from the meat one”, he asserts-, the reduction of sugars and fats – “We are creating ice creams in the BCC in which sugar is minimized”, he details- o “Good” gluten-free breads and biscuits they will arrive at the tables.

In search of the origin

Meat from the Esla valley or the Guadarrama mountain range? It’s been a long time since consumers began to worry about the origin of the products who buy or eat in a restaurant. “Traceability is no longer optional”, defends Basilio.

For that, because also the cuisines of other countries are better known and because the number of Latin American immigrants who demand or cook it increases, this expert predicts in 2022 a increased consumption of traditional and authentic dishes from Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela, but also a hot dog “blast” that has already been anticipated by the revolutionary David Muñoz, from the ‘triestrellado’ DiverXO (Madrid) with a specialized ‘gastroneta’.

Humanist (and price) revolution

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The brothers Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca, from the ‘three stars’ El Celler de Can Roca (Girona), anticipated the current personnel crisis in the hospitality industry by raising a necessary humanist conciliation revolution in the sector. “It has to be solved, right now the employer is picking up on the malpractice that some have done years ago and the candidate for a position is stronger than ever,” says Basilio.

“Whoever does not meet certain standards of working conditions and salary will not be able to open a restaurant,” he warns after ensuring that The opening days and hours will be reduced and that haute cuisine will raise its prices not only because of the increase in energy or raw material costs but also “to be sustainable from the point of view of human resources”.