ROME - From natural foods, to lactose-free or turmeric-based foods;
from whipped coffee, to beyond burger;
to Japanese, Chinese, or even American specialties.
This is what we will eat in 2021. A research conducted by Deliveroo, carried out on a sample of a thousand Italians, tells us about the food trends for the next year, focusing attention on the methods of consumption and choice, on the trendiest specialties and foreign kitchens protagonists.
To inspire desires at the table, the internet and social media have now surpassed TV and reached family word of mouth.
In fact, the research shows that family word of mouth - valid in 31.5% of the answers - has now been reached by the main social networks - Facebook for 36% and Instagram for 28% - which, in turn, have also surpassed TV (28.5%).
The performance of online recipe sites and cookbooks was good which, with 39.9%, are confirmed as one of the most capable means of guiding choices in the kitchen.
But the cuisine of 2021 will be above all sustainable, seasonal and attentive to waste.
Attention to seasonality is expressed in 42% of the answers, followed by the need to reduce waste (37.8%), attention to local food (30.74%) and veganism (22%).
Foods based on natural ingredients will be the protagonists of table habits in 2021. Approximately 63% of the Italians involved in the survey have in fact indicated this type of food among those that, after having characterized 2020, will also mark next year.
In this case too, the most curious news comes from social networks: in fact, Deliveroo's research identifies whipped coffee among the emerging habits of the year that is about to end.
This special coffee cream - whose recipe is a huge hit among Tik Tok videos especially among young people - in 2020 was "tested" by 25% of Italians.
And 53% say they intend not to deprive themselves of it even in 2021. Similarly, the consumption of meat substitutes, such as beyond burgers, has met the taste of 22.5% of the interviewees this year.
And it will remain among the 2021 trends for 45%.
Another consumption habit that in 2020 aroused the curiosity of Italians are non-alcoholic drinks.
In fact, 31% of the interviewees declared that they appreciated them in 2020 and for 57% it will remain a habit also in 2021. The same goes for lactose-free foods (43%) and for turmeric-based foods (36%).
Finally, the foreign kitchens that will be confirmed among the most popular in 2021 are Japanese, Chinese and American.
However, there is no shortage of gastronomic traditions ready to play the role of real outsider: among these, the Mexican and the Greek are the ones that, according to the Italians, will join the top three in the ranking.