The Future of Food

With World Expo Milan opening in a few weeks themed to “Feed the Planet”, we wanted to serve some food for thought of our own, with the launch of The Future of Food Report.

Our report introduces a whole new food order where the confluence of cuisines reflects our hunger for innovation. There was a time when diners and pundits turned up their collective noses at any whiff of fusion. Today, however, there’s a greater appetite for food that defies conventional classification. Dishes are ‘inflected’ by mismatched ingredients or prepared in ways that question traditional techniques. All rules are off the table.

“No reservations” also applies to the way “Third Culture” chefs are challenging our notion of what a cuisine should be. Their innovations are inspired by their ethnicities, history, childhood memories, sense of identity and place. They’re cross-breeding culinary traditions, techniques and ingredients in ways previously unimaginable. This seismic shift in thinking represents the greatest cross-cultural exchange in modern times, reminiscent only of the ancient Silk Road and spice trade. That this is happening is not news. That we embrace it, is.

Yet, in the context of this globalization, regional cuisines are rising to the fore, with some restaurants specializing in just one region.

There’s a growing movement to preserve and document culinary artisanal traditions that have survived generations simply because they came out of family kitchens. We’re seeing more self-trained chefs launching restaurants, more men cooking at home, the continued move away from any notion of fine dining, the growing influence of street food, and the popularity of culinary tourism.

This is the new culture of food. To get a copy of the report, email us at futureoffood@catchonco.com

Catherine Feliciano-Chon