Eggs: Culinary Trend Tracking Series

Eggs: Culinary Trend Tracking Series

Eggs have always been a restaurant and home kitchen workhorse, but they have garnered new levels of respect.

As Eggs: Culinary Trend Tracking Series notes, consumers are seeking higher levels of protein in their diets—a movement favorable to eggs, with their six grams of high-quality protein. A single egg does contain 62% of the currently recommended daily intake for cholesterol, but the new nutritional consensus is that the cholesterol level in foods should not be of special dietary concern. And though growing consumer attention to livestock animal welfare presents a business and ethical challenge, specialty brands and product offerings are at least addressing these issues, as are related trends in the meat, poultry, and dairy cases.

While fresh eggs as grocery products have held a high and steady 93-94% usage rate over in U.S. households, according to national consumer survey data from Simmons Research, the percentage choosing to buy organic eggs notched up from 22% in 2010 to 26% in 2017. At the same time, Simmons data show that specialty egg offerings draw a significantly high share of health-conscious food shoppers, while store brands do the reverse. Dedicated vegetarians, for example, are nearly twice as likely to buy Land O’ Lakes, a brand line featuring organic eggs, cage-free eggs, and brown eggs with ALA Omega 3.

Eggs are also the menu-maker’s best friend: they are relatively inexpensive proteins, super-adaptable, and play well with a multitude of other ingredientsꟷfrom breakfast to late-night, and for carnivores and vegetarians alike. This report tracks the rising profiles or new incarnations of the following menu items:

• Chilaquiles and Migas (Hispanic breakfast egg dishes)
• Deviled Eggs
• Eggs Benedict
• Frittatas
• Okonomiyaki Japanese Pancakes
• Meringues
• Shakshuka (Middle Eastern poached eggs in savory sauce)
• Sous Vide/Slow-Cooked Eggs
• Egg Yolks

Eggs: Culinary Trend Tracking Series provides various type of market research and menu/product development information, including a menu data-supported introduction to these trending dishes and ingredients; a generous listing of current menu items and images; detailed, on-target trend translation tips for menus and retail food; and fresh, relevant insights for tying substantive innovation to culinary and consumer market trends.