After four years of exploring the food world, it was time to revisit the many trends identified and profiled in the Culinary Trend Mapping Report to see how they have moved along the Trend Map. Most of the trends spotted years ago have made the kind of progress the Report predicted. In addition, by tracking these trends over time, we have gained a greater understanding of the powerful consumer drivers that propel these trends up the Trend Map. This is important, because the drivers are the real factors behind what becomes the road map to future trends.

In this special issue, Where Are They Now: A Look Back, we explore trends in three consumer driver categories:

• Health and Wellness
• Ethnic Foods
• Premium

By grouping trends in this way, we can paint a clearer portrait of the power of consumer drivers.

Key Strategies
Where Are They Now: A Look Back answers key questions about the foods, cooking methods and ingredients tracked over the past four years by the Culinary Trend Mapping Report, including:

• Where these trends now appear along the trend map
• How new uses and applications of these foods have suggested a food or drink that has grown into the next big thing
• Actual menu items where these foods are appearing
• Applications for the packaged foods/retail side of the business
• New product and menu-item introductions inspired by emerging and existing food trends
• A look ahead: what emerging trends will be featured in the months and years to come

What’s Next?
As instructive as it is to look back, it’s equally interesting and useful to look ahead. And in this issue of the Culinary Trend Mapping Report, we tip our hand about exciting and emerging ingredients - on restaurant menus, at trade shows and in the pages of industry magazines that are starting to gain traction in the areas of health and wellness, ethnic foods and premium food trends.

The Culinary Trend Mapping Report is an indispensable tool for those whose job it is to stay abreast of what's hot - or what will be - in the food world!

Using the Center for Culinary Development’s (CCD) signature Trend Mapping technique, a validated method identifying which culinary trends are “gaining traction” and which are simply flashes in the pan, each report concentrates on a theme, or trend, that is affecting the food industry, and then looks at the emerging and established ingredients, cooking styles and products along the Trend Map that are driving this theme.

Each report is a 75+ page journal packed with trends, data, strategies and insights on the food industry that simply aren't available anywhere else.

Each Issue of the Culinary Trends Mapping Report

• Identifies the maturity level of foods and ingredients according to CCD’s unique, proprietary 5-stage trend mapping process.
• Concentrates on a theme that is affecting the food industry, and then looks at the emerging and established trends along the Trend Map that affect—or are affected by—this theme.
• Delves into these trends and what they mean for you and the manufacturing, retailing, and foodservice industries.
• Gives strategic insight into how consumers are thinking of and reacting to new foods and ingredients.
• Provides business know-how regarding opportunities, challenges, and ways to implement current trends into foodservice, retail, and packaged goods operations.
• Presents a feature interview with a member chef from CCD’s exclusive 80+ member Chefs’ Council® that offers expert analysis and his or her perspective on a specific trend.

Additional features include:

• Menu Tracking: Menu mentions of our featured Trend Map items. Within the trend profiles, we will offer a summary of how often the trend has appeared on menus in restaurants ranging from 75 white tablecloth restaurants to the top 200 chains.
• Trend Dishes: Actual descriptions of all dishes for top restaurant chains for each of the trends appear in the report Appendices to provide a comprehensive overview of how the trends are being served.
• Industry Veterans Speak: Points of view from an industry perspective on what each trend means—whether positive or negative—to the food industry at large, including consumers, professionals and businesses.

Trend Mapping Trend Mapping is guided by the premise that major food trends pass through five distinct stages on their way to the mainstream:

• Stage 1: The ingredient, dish and/or cooking technique appears at upscale dining establishments, ethnic and popular independent restaurants.
• Stage 2: The item is featured in specialty consumer-oriented food magazines, such as Gourmet and Bon Appetit plus retail stores such as Sur La Table that target culinary professionals and serious home cooks.
• Stage 3: The item begins to appear in mainstream chain restaurants -- Applebee's or Chili's -- as well as retail stores such as Williams-Sonoma that target recreational cooks.
• Stage 4: Publications such as Family Circle and Better Homes and Gardens pick up the buzz.
• Stage 5: Finally, the trend makes its way to quick service restaurant menus and is either starting to appear or is having increased presence on grocery store shelves.

Availability
Published bimonthly, the Culinary Trend Mapping Report is available for purchase as a single issue or a six-issue subscription.

Related Reports:

Soy Foods and Beverages in the U.S.
May 1, 2008 - LA1486839 - $3,300.00

Hand-Held Foods: Culinary Trend Mapping Report
Jan 30, 2008 - LA1608334 - $3,000.00

Convenience Foods in the U.S., Volumes 1 and 2: Fresh and Frozen
Jan 1, 2008 - LA1635041 - $6,000.00

Convenience Foods in the U.S., Volume 2: Frozen Prepared Meals, Entrees, Appetizers and Snacks
Dec 1, 2007 - LA1613389 - $3,000.00

Convenience Foods in the U.S., Volume 1: Fresh Prepared Deli and Packaged Foods
Dec 1, 2007 - LA1486830 - $3,000.00

Indulgence Foods: Culinary Trends Mapping Report
Nov 1, 2007 - LA1598534 - $2,995.00

Gourmet Fresh Foods in the U.S
Nov 1, 2007 - LA1763072 - $1,000.00

Gourmet Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts in the U.S
Nov 1, 2007 - LA1763070 - $1,000.00

Gourmet Ready-to-Eat Meals in the U.S.
Nov 1, 2007 - LA1763066 - $1,000.00

Gourmet Beverages in the U.S.
Nov 1, 2007 - LA1763065 - $1,000.00