Bone broths, jackfruit and harissa: What's trending food-wise for 2017

Food enthusiasts, home cooks, and industry professionals are eager to hear what's hot and what's not for the new year. And everyone, it seems, has an opinion. The global marketing firms that serve as consultants to the restaurant and supermarket-chain industries have their picks ("fierce flavors" at breakfast, more ethnic-inspired dishes), as does the National Restaurant Association (savory desserts, healthful children's menus), and even the Wall Street Journal (the versatile jackfruit).

They all agree on at least one thing: Though it might seem contradictory, we want to get back to (or discover) foods and techniques grounded in tradition (a hearty stew is always in fashion) while continuing to "explore global cuisines" (what is Brazilian feijoada, anyway? Oh, yeah - a hearty stew).

There are hundreds of well-reasoned (and some less so) guesses about 2017's "hot" list, but no guarantees. For starters, few things seem sacred. It's forecast that kale will be replaced by a yet-to-be-named superfood, which could be seaweed, Swiss chard, or cauliflower. Sriracha sauce may be nudged aside by harissa, the North African hot chili pepper paste. Sugar-heavy soda sales are clearly down, and makers of sparkling water and bottled teas are betting their products will become the next favorite nonalcoholic drinks of the nation's 80 million millennials. Though a concern could be that their favorite drinking vessel is the mason jar and their favorite restaurant is Red Lobster.

As for past trendsetters such as deviled eggs and veggie chips, you'll find them over there behind the box of Cronuts and plate of fairy bread. No, to the left of the avocado toast and stack of maple syrup-glazed bacon, next to the egg-white omelette. You need to move the ramen burgers, the ube, and the chlorophyll extract to find them.

We gazed into a few crystal balls of some expert observers. Continuing their runs from this year will be coconut everything, Asian noodles, gourmet mac and cheese, flavored spirits, "authentic" Mexican cuisine, charcuterie, mocktails, oatmeal with unusual toppings, more farmers' markets, grilled veggies, preserved anything, craft beers and cocktails, more flavors of granola, more uses of ancient grains, and creative ways to use fresh turmeric root in cooking, given the excitement over its purported health-inducing powers.

Trends that could take off include enhanced transparency in food labeling, repurposing food waste (simmering Parmesan cheese rinds in pasta sauce always works), sustainable seafood (focused on "green" fisheries and improved aquaculture systems), savory desserts (spaghetti-flavored ice pops), artisan cheeses, coffee served in chocolate-coated ice cream cones, more restaurants offering breakfast all day (what do you say, IHOP?), more choices for filling "bowls" (beyond acai and poke), pastas made from grains other than wheat (lentils, chickpeas), smoked and flavored sardines (because everybody loves fish breath), bone broths, cuts of goat meat, the "discovery" of African spices (berbere, dukkah), chili heat in surprising dishes (cayenne woos ice cream), and - you'll like this one - that trusted antioxidant, dark chocolate, at breakfast.

Look for more plant-focused restaurant menus (even Brussels sprouts can be a main dish) and vegetarian comfort foods such as chicken-fried portobello mushroom steak, avocado fries, and zucchini hash browns and pancakes. Green Giant recently introduced Veggie Tots, using shredded cauliflower in place of potato. Other food manufacturers are likely to similarly tweak the mainstream.

Also, the use of Japanese condiments in particular could continue its roll (ponzu, kelp, plum vinegar), coupled with a general trend for "creative condiments" such as chili pepper jam, black garlic puree, adobo sauces and sambals, sumac and fenugreek, and salsas made from vegetables (beets, bell peppers) and fruits (strawberries, watermelon). What do you think of chocolate-chip hummus, beet yogurt, and chipotle-cherry jerky? Don't answer until you've tasted.

For another perspective, we turned to gastronome Ed Levine, the "founding father" and CEO of the James Beard Award-winning site www.seriouseats.com. "You can always tell what the trends are by when the big chains put out their versions," he said.

In the dine-in world, Levine noted, "people are gravitating toward a grazing style of more casual and less costly [eating], and restaurants are figuring out how to accommodate that."

One way is with those aforementioned bowls. "People are looking to eat healthfully, but most of them aren't willing to sacrifice taste," Levine said. "However, Sweetgreen has figured out the concept of healthful food that also tastes good, served in a customizable way. It's the hippest, fastest-growing casual-concept chain going [with three stores in Philadelphia]. You choose the contents of your combination bowl from lists of vegetables, fruits, and chicken, with vinaigrettes that are carefully made. This winter, they have 'warm bowls' with grains as bases."

Although 2017 looks to be another game of chutes and ladders for many food trends - including home-delivered meal kits, sous vide cooking, and "butcher-to-table" operations, Levine points out that the new year won't be all about change.

"Preserving and fermentation are here to stay," he said. "Comfort foods will always be with us - mashed potatoes, french fries, mac and cheese, fried chicken, ice cream, pizza, grilled cheese. Those things will never die, nor should they."