Food trends can be fickle and short lived, and what was trendy, hip, and smoking hot yesterday can be as washed up and stale as cold leftovers today.   So, what’s hot in the culinary world for 2009?

Every year in October, the National Restaurant Association surveys professional chefs to find out their culinary forecast for the upcoming year. This year, over 1600 chefs responded, rating over 200 foods as a “hot trend”, “yesterday’s news” or a “perennial favorite.”   We found a great video summarizing the results and you may read or download the full pdf report here.  What made the list?   Healthy, nutritious, fresh locally grown foods, superfruits and exotic fruits, artisan cheeses, free range meats, sustainable seafood, organic wine, smaller portions and mini foods such as tapas and dim sum.   Overall a refreshing focus in general and very healthy trends, let’s see if they prove to be true in the months to come!

We also found this list from top experts in the hotel and restaurant industries, with hot 2009 food ingredients including:
- Ricotta cheese and comfort foods
- Asian noodles in broth
- Flat iron and flank steak (due to it’s affordable cost)
- Ethnic flavorings for poultry
- Breakfast foods any time of the day ( we love this one!)
- And the trendy spice for 2009 = Tarragon.

Food and travel writer Lisa Rogak authored this article with chef insights on food trends, and her list reinforces the local food, smaller portions, and affordable meat trends, in addition to tea infused foods, and savory cocktails such as Chili Serrano Martinis ( hangover anyone? ).

Other hot alcoholic beverage trends according to Epicurious include Ginger cocktails and Ginger beers.  Says editor in chief Tanya Steel, ““One of the areas people are not cutting back on is liquor, people are drinking more.”

What do the Brits think of the issue?  Well for one, that foodies rule, as we already are aware! Check out their predictions from the Guardian for the new year here, or watch a great video from The Food People here.

What trendy foods for 2009 does Bon Appetit see in their crystal ball?   You can read the wrapup here, or the full report in the January issue, but a top trend is “Luxury for Less”, including affordable substitutions, such as eye of round for prime rib, and truffle oil instead of truffles.  Peruvian food is climbing it’s way to the top of the ethnic ladder, and their top dessert ingredient of the year is peanut butter.

We’d love to know your thoughts, or if you have any predictions of your own, let us know in the comments!

(Note:  Also see our newer post with additional updated food trends.)