2013?s top 5 food trends
This year overflowed with delicious and inventive food, but a few stuck out as the top trends.
Cronuts:?Ladies and gentlemen, we present you with the king, queen, prince and princess of this year?s food scene.?The cronut?is the indisputable champion of food trends, and with good reason. Flaky layers of buttery croissant dough are made even more decadent by being shaped and fried like a doughnut, stuffed with cream, rolled in flavored sugar and topped with icing. The flavor changes every month, and lines to get this thing stretch blocks, ensuring it sells out from?Dominique Ansel bakeryevery single day. Knockoffs spread like wildfire across the nation, and Ansel, the creator of this gift to the world, even copyrighted the name to prevent outright name-stealing.
Crazy Burgers: This was definitely the year of the crazy burger. From?ramen patty?and?mac-and-cheese buns?to?communion wafer garnishes, nothing was off limits.
Doritos Everything:?Taco Bell led the charge in Dorito-fying the nation. The company?s?March release of the Cool Ranch Doritos Locos taco?was eagerly received by both Taco Bell and Doritos fans. Bon Appetit made a?flavored bread?with the addictive chips, and?a restaurant popped up in Brooklyn?that tops its pasta carbonara with crushed nacho cheese Doritos. Get ready for more in 2014, because Doritos has partnered up with Buffalo Wild Wings and Pizza Hut to create new mash-up items for your eating pleasure.
Sriracha:?This spicy Asian chili condiment exploded on menus nationwide, even spawning a ?Hunger Games?-themed Subway sandwich line. The spread only heated up even more when news hit that the company that makes it was being forced to stop production, because of complaints from townspeople that the factory?s smell was making their throat and eyes burn. Buy this beloved sauce now while your local grocery store still has it in stock!
Kale:?If you haven?t had a kale salad by now, you must be living under a rock. There?s a reason this superfood showed up on just about every restaurant menu: It?s really good! For proof, try?this easy and familiar Caesar salad?from Rachael Ray that replaces iceberg lettuce with kale.