The line between restaurant menus and home cooking is blurring, thanks to social media like TikTok where restaurant dishes become viral sensations and in the right culinary hands popular social "food fads" are translating to menus and limited time offers. That's according to the National Restaurant Association's 2024 What's Hot Culinary Forecast and insights pulled from a survey of 1,500 culinary professionals nationwide—its largest to-date—who identified incorporating social media as one of the top ten hottest trends in 2024.
The survey uncovered several broader menu trends to watch for next year as well as specific dishes, ingredients, flavors, and condiments that are set to become fast favorites among consumers. Topping the list of trends, world soups and stews check all the boxes for consumers and restaurant operators. They're a safe way for customers to experience new ingredients, an economical way to diversify a menu, and they can be an easy way to integrate healthier options.