This document explores emerging trends in the future of food, including ingredients, dining destinations, personalities, and technology. Some of the major trends highlighted are the rise of forgotten and heritage foods; the growth of food literacy and interest from a young age; an increased focus on provenance, sustainability and local ingredients; and the rapid development of dining technology and apps. Culinary tourism is also growing exponentially, with cities like Bangkok, Barcelona, Brooklyn, Copenhagen, Lima, Marrakesh, Melbourne, Portland, Singapore, and Tel Aviv highlighted as top destinations for food exploration.

1. .
THE
FUTURE
OF
FOOD

2. In interviews with chefs, restaurateurs, journalists,
artists, gourmands, interior designers, food explorers and
culinary culturists, CatchOn has shortlisted the influences
shaping our relationship with food, identifying macro
movements, hot spots, personalities, ingredients, design
trends and the buzzwords shaping the food scene today.
Many of these trends are driven by either abundance or
scarcity, but all are fueled by a collective creative force
unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The Future of Food explores where food
intersects with pop culture, personalities,
traditions, technology, art and design.
THE FUTURE of FOOD

3. THETableofCONTENTS
FOOD-FOR-THOUGHT
FROM SLOW TO FORGOTTEN
BACK TO OUR ROOTS
BITTEN BY THE FOOD BUG
NOT MILK?
FOOD APP-AND-COMING
10 DINING-IN-DESIGN TRENDS
NEXT GENERATION GOURMANDS
CULINARY TOURISM
10 DINING DESTINATIONS
10 EMERGING EPICUREAN CAPITALS
10 HOT INGREDIENTS
HOT PANTRY
22 HOT PERSONALITIES
FOOD WORDS: HOT & OVERDONE
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4. Print publishing may be dwindling, but books centered on food –
and not just your garden-variety cook books – are booming.
Niche bookstores like Kitchen Art & Letters, Omnivore Books on
Foods, Rabelais, Amber Unicorn, and Heirloom Book Company are
thriving in the U.S. Foodzines – quirky specialty magazines
dedicated to the art of food – like Kinfolk, Cereal, Fricote,
Rocket and Frankie are gaining a cult following for their food
spreads. Brooklyn’s Food Book Fair, The Ballymaloe Lit Fest of
Food and Wine, and Oxford Food Festival are making rock stars
out of chefs, food critics and commentators. Taschen and
Phaidon’s verdant portfolio of culin-art books like Mugaritz: A
Natural Science of Cooking by Andoni Luis Aduriz; The Art of
Cooking With Vegetables by L’Arpege chef Alain Passard; and
Faviken by Magnus Nilsson are both eye candy and mouth-watering.
Rich in metaphors, cultural and historical references, food and
literature is also proliferating in the classroom (Princeton
University’s recent Literature & Food course and Oxford
Gastronomica), carving its own genre in university syllabus.
Whetherit’s gastronomes, foodzines or deftly illustrated cookbooks, our current food obsession
has exploded from ourplates on to pages in a way that blends literature, art and photography.
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FOOD for THOUGHT

5. 02
We have the Slow Food UK movement to thank for this trend. Their
recent Forgotten Food program put the spotlight on small-scale
quality produce “threatened by industrial agriculture, environmental
degradation and homogenization.”
While the Farm-to-Table movement is not new, the cooperatives, civic
initiatives and subsidies such as this point to a growing trend that
shows no signs of abating. The moniker “Forgotten” is brilliant
-- it’s not about what’s rare but hints at what needs to be
remembered and celebrated.
In Philadelphia recently, the Festival of Forgotten Foods served up
oyster stew and fried catfish with waffles to showcase Philly’s
culinary heritage. Booths, a “proudly local food store” chain in
the UK, created a list of Forgotten Foods putting once-endangered
food products like unpasteurized Wensleydale cheese to tiny, sweet
Morecambe Bay potted shrimp, back on the tables.
Driving this trend: environmental concerns, a knack for nesting,
heritage revival in face of urbanism and plain old nostalgia.
From SLOW TO FORGOTTEN

6. Consumers are finding it increasinglyimportant to know the
provenance of theirfood. It’s about reconnecting food and culture
and a heightened awareness of what we put into ourbodies.
Whole Foods are among the many
retailers championing this, sourcing
local products like beer, cheese and
oysters, among many other items,
to fill their shelves.
As a result, people are spending more time and money
on learning food techniques that were commonplace for
their ancestors. Homemade yoghurt making, pickling,
canning, utilizing stone-ground whole grains, home
smoked fish, beekeeping, and rooftop gardening are
among the top trends. A whole industry of artisanal
food makers have sprouted.
03
BACK TO OUR ROOTS

7. As food supplies reach
crisis proportions,
entomaphogy(eating
insects) will eventually
become a more
palatable practice.
But it will be a long
and arduous
conversion process.
While caterpillar casseroles, locust lasagnas and silkworm
soufflés may leave many more wan than wanting, insects’
protein-rich diet is already making its way into livestock
feed through companies like Enviro-Flight in the US,
Entologics in Belgium and AgriProteins Technologies. It’s
also gained steam among agri-academics and food fairs in
the United States and Europe, while the practice is
commonplace in China, Southeast Asia and Mexico.
Intrepid diners can start sampling San Francisco-based
Chapul’s cricket energy bars; toasted grasshoppers
(chapulines) at Carte de Oaxaca in Seattle, and New York's
Toloache; Hotlix’s “crickettes”; or Crispy Cajun Crickets
at the Bug Appétit cafeteria in New Orleans; and Thai-
seasoned crawlers at Sticky Rice in Chicago, and Typhoon
in Santa Monica, California. Check out your culinary
options at FAO’s Webportal of Edible Insects.
04
BITTEN BYTHE FOOD BUG

8. Almond milk was
the fastest growing
non-dairy milk
alternative last year
in both sales
and popularity,
experiencing a sales
increase of 79%.
So, what are dairy farmers
doing to stay afloat?
They are innovating their
packaging, sizing and
styles. But this isn't
doing enough -
US milk sales have dropped
to the lowest level since
1984, according to the US
Department of Agriculture.
According to a new report from Packaged
Facts, this was the result of increased
consumer awareness of plant-based milk
health benefits along with the growing
popularity of veganism. Other popular non-
dairy products include soy milk, rice milk,
coconut milk, hemp milk, sunflower seed
milk, and oat milk.
almond milk
soy milk
hemp milk
05
NOT MILK?

9. Those of us who rely on the ability to book
tables online, preview menus in advance,
and order/pay for takeout all without ever
having to speak to anyone (except for
answering the door to collect your dinner)
will be excited to learn that dining
technology is just getting started.
The tech world is hard at work creating
apps that will further change our dining
experiences, for the better of course!
06
FOOD APP and COMING

10. “What are the things people
(us especially) are most
excited ABOUT”
NoWait is a Pittsburgh-based startup that has
developed an app where customers may leave
their information with the host, and opt to
receiving a text message when their table is
ready. Customers can also check their status
in line through a provided link via text
message where they can access, “What’s My
Place”, in the line.
The Melt in San Francisco encourages people
to place orders for their grilled cheese
sandwiches in advance through a mobile site.
A QR code is then generated that allows
customers to swipe and pick up their food on-
the-go. To ensure quality, their customized
grills are timed so that the food is ready in
exactly 2 minutes after each order is swiped.
Queuing and table management systems:
Mobile ordering systems:
Restaurants and fast-food outlets are
exploring alternative payment methods to
facilitate the checkout process. For
example, customers can tap their
smartphones or tablets or pay using apps
for Google Wallet, Paypal, LevelUp and
Square. While these options have become
more apparent and available in the past
year, studies have found most customers
have not caught onto this trend.
At Inamo in London, interactive tables
allow customers to do everything from
order meals, play games, watch the chefs
prepare their food via a webcam, to
ordering a taxi after their meal.
Mobile and e-payment:
Virtual menus available tableside:
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FOOD APP and COMING

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Small Plates/Big Tables: small plates
usher in bigger shared tables
Hi-Tech/Hi-Touch: techno-digital
blends with organic-tactile surfaces
and finishes
Materiality: Wood, Glass…and COPPER
Hot Feature: Lighting continues to
take center stage with sensual
silhouettes like Zaha Hadid’s Avia and
Aria lamps, Brokis & Lugi, and Arik
Levy for Baccarat
Say What? Acoustics, finally,
becomes an integral part of design
Give a Hand to: Artisanal tile makers,
ceramicists, textile weavers,
craftsmen refashioning pieces from
rescued wood and found objects
Public Kitchen
Up Close and Personal: Chef’s counters
Modular Furniture
Green
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10 DINING-IN-DESIGN TRENDS

12. Rise of the “pint-size gourmands”, kids are turning food
critics. Children as young as five are now writing and
talking about food. David Pines (writer of Pines Picks:
A Kid’s Guide to the Best Things to Eat and Drink in New
York City) and Eli Knauer (Adventures of a Koodie) are
just a couple who have already made a name for
themselves in the US, but will we see the same in Asia
and Europe?
Following the success ofJuniorMasterChef, kids’ cooking shows have appeared all around the world. These TV programs have played a
majorpart in shaping a trend where we’re seeing children begin theirimpressive culinaryjourneys from a veryyoung age.
Children’s cooking classes are nothing new but
these programs have also developed into one of the
hottest trends in upscale culinary travel. In
recent months, hotels and resorts around the
world have launched culinary classes and programs
for kids. Hyatt is known to be a pioneer in the
development of kids’ cooking classes on vacation
and The Peninsula Beverly Hills has also recently
launched the Young Pastry Chefs program.
Kids are increasingly invading the
kitchen and in turn, learning more
about what they're putting in their
bodies and the origins of that food.
This is part of a bigger global
movement by parents who want their
children to adopt healthier diets.
Foodie Kids
Kids in the Kitchen
Cooking Classes
NEXT GENERATION GOURMANDS
09

13. “Sleep on the floor if you have to.
Find out how other people live
and eat and cook. Learn from them –
wherever you go.”
Anthony Bourdain

14. CULINARY TOURISM
“The question isn’t whetherculinarytourism is growing – which it is, exponentially. It’s how it’s growing.”
Peter Greenberg, CBS News Travel Editor
Been There/Done That
Food & Wine Tours
Italy & France
Farm-to-Table
Cooking with Chefs
Trips arranged by ‘travel agents’
Eating before going to the airport
International food guides
Next Up
Walking tours of back alley street
food & markets
South America
Agro-Tourism
Foraging/Hunting with Chefs
Trips guided by food anthropologists
Airports as culinary destinations
Local food & travel blogs/forums
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15. HOT! UPCOMING!
Portland
Lima
Beirut
Tel Aviv
Barcelona
Copenhagen
Bangkok
Brooklyn
Marrakesh
Melbourne
Singapore
Chengdu
Ho Chi Minh
Manila
Shanghai
Dubrovnik
Istanbul
Ljubljana
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São Paolo
La Paz
CULINARY TOURISM

16. These 10 cities ranked the top of the list as hot food tourist destinations. People are traveling to these cities to explore
the vibrant food culture, discovernew ideas and concepts, sample the best of street food culture, taste organic and
locallysourced produce and ultimatelyembark on a culinary adventure.
Bangkok for owning the
street food movement
Barcelona for giving
the Catalan region
yet another reason to
break away from Spain
Brooklyn for its
abundance of small,
seasonal and uber-
stylish joints
Copenhagen for championing
‘local’ and ‘organic’
restaurants while never
compromising on design and
interiors
Lima for 500 years of fusion
influence and amazing
indigenous ingredients
Marrakesh for enabling
diners to enjoy a hookah
pipe all the while eating
fine French cuisine blended
with local spices
Melbourne for its
multicultural influences,
variety of affordable
restaurants and quality
inner-city food markets
Portland for being
arguably the most
original gastronomic
destination in America,
where you can eat
everything from food-
truck feasts to
affordable tasting menus
Singapore for its
remarkable food revival
over the last few years,
including everything
from hawker centers to
Michelin-starred private
kitchens
Tel Aviv for its
blend of European
and Middle Eastern
cafe culture and a
mod-Med movement
10 DINING DESTINATIONS
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17. Theymaynot be travelling there yet, but foodies should keep these destinations on theirradar.
14
10 EMERGING EPICUREAN CAPITALS
Beirut for its rich
farms, orchards,
vineyards and waters
Chengdu for having
arguably the spiciest
food in the world
(next to Indian
cuisine of course)
Dubrovnik for
embracing the best
of both Western and
Eastern European
cuisines
Ho Chi Minh for its cheap
eats, ever popular pho, and
first-rate coffee
Istanbul for combining
flavors from all the
countries in south east
Europe, the Middle East
and Africa
La Paz for its biological
diversity in terms of
agricultural produce
Ljubljana for its
incredible produce,
wines and seafood; a
perfect mix of Balkan
and European influences
Manila for being a
food-loving culture
and melting pot where
an economic boom could
hopefully and finally
trigger a culinary
revival
São Paolo for putting
Brazilian food back on the
map, thanks to a new
generation of chefs who
focus on local ingredients
and tradition
Shanghai for having
the world’s best soup
dumplings next door
to a modern Michelin-
starred restaurant
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18. Julia Child
“You don’t have to cook fancy or
complicated masterpieces — just good
food from fresh ingredients”

19. Sriracha
This essential condiment has
moved beyond spicing up
Asian soups, noodles and
stir-fries to being
incorporated into a variety
of cuisines and dishes
Ginger
For leading the charge
in the Asian-ization of
world cuisine
Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaves
For their incredible aromas and
adding subtle but distinct
flavor to dishes
Sticky Rice
The possibilities are endless
and it is an ingredient that
finds its way into a worldly
array of cuisines
Rice Flour
All of a sudden everywhere on
menus, adding a peppery hit
to ceviches, as a garnish for
short ribs, or as a topping
for smoked salmon tartines
Ancient Grains
Expect these grains to be
featured in food promoted
for their protein content
Sardines
Because eating them
doesn’t deplete the
food supply chain and
the little guys are
packed with nutrients
Kimchi
Kimchi will continue
making its way onto
restaurant menus. Expect
to see it appearing with
surprising partners
Horseradish
This tingly ingredient is
popping up on menus all over
the place. Move over wasabi,
there’s a new player in town
Rhubarb
A vegetable that beautifully
masquerades as a fruit. It’s
easy to grow, store and
create an endless array of
dishes with
10 HOT INGREDIENTS
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20. Mimolette
Passion fruit
Peruvian potatoes
Pu-erh Tea
Purity Farm Organic Ghee
Sambal Belacan
Sherry Vinegar
Sriracha
Tasmania winter truffle
Valrhona chocolate
Yunnan ham
Yuzu
479° Popcorn
Acquerello rice
Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Christine Ferber for
Pierre Herme’s Ispahan Jam
Coriander
Cortas rosewater
Cumin
Ermes Torricelli Aceto di Balsamico
Fage Greek yogurt
Il Boschetto Arrabbiata Dipping Oil
Iranian saffron
Maldon salt
HOT PANTRY
In the pantry and shopping lists of world-class foodies
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21. Andrew Tarlow
for understanding
that people care
about what they’re
eating and the
people behind the
ingredients
David Thompson for
rediscovering old
ingredients and
staying true to
tradition
Ferran Adria for
what he’ll do
for the future
of food with his
foundation
Ben Shewry
for his curiosity and
natural inclination
towards the foraged
and found
Heston Blumenthal
for his inventive
approach to cuisine
Elena Arzak for being
the future of a Basque
culinary institution
Enrique Olvera
for making
Mexican food
more than just
tacos &
burritos
The Roca brothers
whose combined
skills have put
Girona in the
global dining map
Claus Meyer for championing
the cuisine of Bolivia,
blending avant-garde
cooking methods with local
ingredients
Imtiaz Qureshi
for reviving
India’s royal
culinary
traditions
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22 HOT PERSONALITIES

22. Seiji Yamamoto
for his boundary-
pushing ideas
Manish Mehrotra
for delivering an
authentic yet fresh
and quirky culinary
adventure
Yoshihiro Narisawa
for making the topic
of sustainability and
sourcing especially
relevant
Rene Redzepi
for championing
food terroir
Massimo Bottura
for his maverick
approach to
modern Italian
gastronomy
Malcolm Lee
for modernising
Peranakan cuisine
Yoshihiro Murata
for pure refinery
and attention to
quality
Magnus Nilsson
for showing that
it’s possible to
eat out of your
snow-filled
backyard
Paul Pairet
for his highly
personal and
completely original
cuisine
Yotam Ottolenghi
for marrying
exuberance with
serenity
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22 HOT PERSONALITIES

23. HOT!
HOT!
HOT!HOT!
HOT!
HOT!
HOT!
HOT!
HOT!
HOT!
Localized
Pickling
Service
Small plates
Small producers
Umami
Vegan
South America
Ethnic fusion
Non-endangered species
Urban Farming
Diversity
Domestic
Experiential
Flavors
Farm Fresh
Fermentation
Heirloom
Heritage Grains
Homemade
Organic
International foods
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FOOD WORDS

24. Bacon Bordeaux Cow’s Milk
Cupcakes
Degustation
Egg
Froths
Frozen Yogurt Gluten-Free
Offal Molecular Gastronomy
Reinvented fast food
Shark’s FinSoda stream
Truffle Oil
OVERDONE
FoamsSoda stream
Bistronomique
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FOOD WORDS

25. ABOUT Us
At CatchOn, being a committed foodie is almost a job requirement. Over the years, we’ve grilled
Asia’s leading chefs, turned sommeliers into celebrities and hosted our share of power breakfasts.
Like our favourite restaurants, CatchOn provides a unique menu as a brand and creative PR consultancy
offering integrated services that include brand development, market research and media relations.
Based in Hong Kong and with offices in Shanghai and Beijing, over the years we’ve spiced up brands,
cooked up creative ideas, stirred up media interest, and made the unsavoury palatable.
www.catchonco.com
With special thanks to our contributors and respondents:
CFC, PC, AR, NK, CF, AW, CW, JG, KV, JL, CN, JN, NM, PB, YJ, RL, SN, IB, BC, LT, JC, FKK, RB, KL, LG,
KF, JW, MK, BR, AC, GL, MC, PP, AB, JCK, AC, VT, CL, MG, CY, PL, TR, NB, JC, AS, VL, ITYC, AS, LF,
CS, MH, CC, EA, OF, JJA, SJ, BP, SL and DH.
Who is CatchOn?