Food trends for 2025 include beef veterinarian, mustard and flavored olive oil

The seasonings have been upgraded. The chef has a signature sauce and dip outside the kitchen. And “Switzerland” still reigns.

All of these food trends are on display at the Specialty Food Association’s Summer Fancy Food Show, and we returned to Javits Center in New York this week.

From Sunday to Tuesday, more than 2,000 exhibitors showed off a variety of specialized foods and drinks, giving participants a glimpse into products heading into grocery aisles and restaurants in the near future.

“It’s always been a show when people go and see trends,” said Christine Couvelier, culinary trend spotter and founder of Culinary Concierge.

A veteran show attendee, Couvier guided the booth on the third floor, highlighting trends and winners on her radar.

The trends in past shows, which are now heading towards a mainstream consumer palette, include new uses for vinegar, oil-based hot sauces and lavender as flavors. However, not all trends have that longevity.

“I think I’ve seen six booths with Dubai chocolates. I won’t see Dubai chocolate next year either,” Couvier said. Shaking the shed Nationwide.

The exhibition has traditionally also been a springboard for new brands seeking to expand their reach. Honest Tea, Ben & Jerry’s and Tate’s Bake Shop are one of the companies that took part in the show early in order to become a well-known consumer brand.

Here are some highlights from this summer’s Fancy Food Show:

Homecook in the US has been using olive oil for decades. In recent years, olive oil has been branching out and focuses on the flavors it offers, whether it’s light rain on ice cream or used in cakes.

But thanks to the trendy flavor infusion, the culinary staple has been upgraded. For example, Castillo de Canena, a family-owned Spanish company, has been making olive oil for centuries, and its booth highlighted two new additions to the line.

Olive oil is not just a classic in the pantry. The mustard category could be heading for a shake-up thanks to a few newcomers hoping to invigorate the tired condiments.

Pop Mustard uses whole mustard seeds, so it pitches itself as “mustard caviar” and gives the seasoning a new texture. The company also uses fermentation, smoking, bringing and other methods to bring more flavor from the seeds.

Caplansky’s Delicatessen showed off a more traditional take on the booth’s seasonings inspired by the classic deremastered. However, its lineup of products offers more flavor than the classic yellow mustard and Dijon found in refrigerators today.

Since the rise of the Meteor in Meteor, plant-based providers have been displaying vegetarian alternatives at the summer fancy food show. However, as this category struggles, the number of booths hawk plant-based products has decreased this year.

Still, the categories have not completely disappeared. Instead, exhibitors presented their products by guiding their preferences rather than authenticity as vegans or vegetarians.

For example, Umyum displays cashew-based cheese and butter alternatives, with a package that says, “Our craft just happens to be plant-based.”

During the pandemic, many restaurant chefs have pivoted to selling foods that can be easily tinned or packaged with the at-home version of their beloved sauces, seasonings and other foods. Even after restaurants reopen their dining rooms, some chefs are sticking to it.

“This is a long-lasting trend, and it’s a passion for making the best version of that food, and now the chef wants you to have it at home,” Couveer said.

At this year’s show, exhibitors included Zahav Foods, a packaged food brand from Chef Michael Solomonov, known for his Philadelphia restaurant Zahav and Laser Wolf in New York. The delicatessen of Kapransky, a mustard brand, was also the brainchild of Chef Zane Kapransky.

While “Swiss-like” food and drinks have already taken over the menus of grocery aisles and restaurants, exhibitors were driving the next evolution of the flavor trend, the sweet and spicy Porte Manteau.

Helping to regain the “sweet heat” trend, Mike’s Hot Honey flaunted his collaboration with Helba with a Swiss-like dip. Smash Kitchen displays hot honey ketchup and adds a bit of heat to the sweetness of the classic seasoning. Srosa, a coleslaw and salsa porte mantoo, exhibited its sweet, spicy cabbage-based flavour.

Last year, beef tallow has been around for a while thanks to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, and his “American Health” agenda. Kennedy has touted rendered fat as a healthier alternative to “seed oil,” but nutrition experts disagree greatly.

Two newcomers exhibited beef tallow products at the summer fancy food show. Butcherben’s Beef Veterinarian and cook beef’s own beef.