By IANSlife

May 2, 2023 (IANSlife) India is taking center-stage globally and setting standards for everyone to follow, whether it’s through the G20 summit, the ability to become the fastest-growing economy, global programs addressing climate change, or the International Year of Millets. India is now all set to be acknowledged as an Atlas of Food in 2023, according to the sixth edition of the Godrej Food Trends Report, because of an unprecedented increase in interest from around the world in India's diverse cuisine and enormous ingredient variety. In the presence of the experts of India's culinary world, Tanya Dubash - Executive Director & Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Industries Limited, released the sixth edition of The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2023 – India – An Atlas of Flavours.

The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2023, saw the coming together of over 350+ thought leaders that included celebrity chefs, home chefs, professional chefs, food bloggers, health professionals, media professionals, mixologists, nutritionists, restaurateurs, sommeliers, food producers, and more, all of whom shared deep insights about their respective areas of expertise.

The world has historically perceived Indian cuisine as a monolith. A notion that has been gradually dismantled over the last decade with a growing realisation that culturally, India is more a continent than a country, with as many cuisines as there are dialects. At home in India, people are on an unprecedented quest for flavours, and adventures on the palate. In the aftermath of the pandemic, people are also becoming aware that Indian cuisine is a complex food matrix of constituents that interact with one another to deliver health and boost immunity. All of this has the Godrej Foods Trends Report panel foreseeing 2023 bringing an unprecedented rise in global interest towards India’s culinary plurality and prodigious ingredient diversity.

Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, of Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies, said, “These are exciting times for the food industry! It was evident that the pandemic had resulted in changes in consumption patterns and consumer behaviors across the entire spectrum of the food industry. I am happy to say that the Godrej Food Trends Report is uniquely positioned to bring the nuances of this evolving foodscape to the forefront for the benefit of the F&B industry. I have personally always enjoyed watching food trends in our country, especially the year-specific trends predicted by our esteemed panelists. It gives me immense joy to see many of them coming to life subsequently. This year, I am personally excited to see growing international interest and recognition given to India for its rich culinary diversity, along with a growing demand for culinary knowledge and skills across all segments.”

Some key insights from The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2023 are:

• Exploration of Cuisines: 64% panel foresee the yearning for adventure for the palate will drive people to explore cuisines other than their own such as regional cuisines
• Locally Produced Artisanal Products: 62% panel sees a significant consumer focus on locally produced small-batch artisanal products such as cheese, pickles, kimchi, dips, and preserves to augment meals with flavour and textures
• Conscious Spending and Mindful Consumption: 76% panel forecasts people buying from local farmers and food producers will be a top consideration. 70% predict seasonal and local ingredients like desi rice and millet varieties, doodhi (bottle gourd), tinda (apple gourd), bhindi (Okra) will see more demand in 2023
• Rise of Traveling Bars and Restaurants: 71% panel predict that traveling restaurants/bars with chefs/ mixologists/restaurants popping up in other cities to be a top trend
• Cuisine Agnostic Chef Driven Menus: 65% of experts feel chefs are increasingly coming into their own as creators and artists patronised by a loyal following of diners looking for new adventures in cuisine-agnostic chef-driven menus. 64% panel forecast regional Indian cuisine concepts continuing to see traction
• Culinary Travel: 75% panel believe Northeast states are where people will flock most to discover food experiences followed by Goa (73%), Tamil Nadu (60%), and Uttarakhand (58%). Globally, the panel predicts people will visit South Korea (53%) followed by Vietnam (52%) and Spain (45%)
• Food Content: 75% expert panel predicts that Instagram Reels and short-form video content will trend
• Clean, Hygienically Packaged Meats, and Seafood: Hygiene being foremost since 2020, 43% of the expert panel predicts the demand for clean, hygienically packaged meats and seafood will continue to grow in 2023
• Gourmet Premium Ghee: With health, nutrition, and immunity, all playing a significant role in choices when it comes to ingredients used in home kitchens and dietary fats and cooking mediums being the cornerstones of cooking in any home, their quality and provenance will always register a change. No wonder that 50% of the panel predicts an increased focus on gourmet premium ghee
• Beverages: 72% panel predicts that 2023 will see a rise in gourmet Indian-origin, artisanal coffee, and tea. 75% panel is firm in the fact that global fermented beverages (eg. tepache, kombucha, kvass, etc.) are going to be the top non-alcoholic choice in 2023
• Desserts: Special diet versions of traditional Indian mithai will be in demand as per 99% of experts. 75% panel also sees a rise in interest in hyper-regional sweet offerings (like the Chena Poda of Orissa or Pootharekulu of Andhra Pradesh). 75% of experts forecast a growing interest in gourmet and artisanal ice creams and an equal number of experts predicts a rising demand for clean ice cream that is transparent, simple, wholesome, and understandable i.e. ‘clean’ labeling.

“Godrej Food Trends Report is a good barometer on what’s going to happen, where to invest, and, most importantly, to safeguard the security of our cuisine, which now has custodians. India’s soft power is our cuisine and its sheer diversity, and the power of our history, plurality, and continuity. And I’m happy to see it finally valued for being authentic and unapologetically true to itself”, shares Masterchef India Judge and celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna.

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