According to experts' forecasts for the future year, consumers' efforts to balance health and fitness with their desire for comfort and enjoyment from foods and beverages will drive many of the trends seen in restaurants and on grocery shelves in 2023. Here are five of the top food and beverage trends to watch in 2023, including a beverage category that is expected to grow in popularity and the social media platform that experts believe will have the greatest influence on where and what customers want to eat.

Tanned fish

Despite its environmental benefits and ubiquity in European culture, tinned fish was once frowned upon and deemed lowbrow cuisine in America. The affordability, environmental friendliness, and honestly, just tasty qualities of tinned sardines, anchovies, mackerel, and the like have made tinned fish one of the market's most popular goods.

Cocktails

"Virgin cocktails" may be a phrase to reconsider in favour of something more descriptive, but the concept is undoubtedly intriguing. Another explanation for the increase in popularity is that some markets are simply more interested in cannabis than in alcohol.

Kefir and kombucha can be used to make beverages with diverse flavour profiles that do not rely on alcohol, a trend that has been expanding for several years and will continue through 2023. According to Yelp, searches for mocktails increased 59% this year, and the company also listed cream-enriched "dirty sodas" and alcohol-free micheladas called michelaguas in its collection of food and beverage trends to watch in 2023.

Mushrooms

Sustainable ingredients have been a welcome trend in the restaurant industry, and as farmers and chefs explore for fresh local resources, the simple mushroom frequently gets a look.

Shiitakes, portabellas, and crimini are old favourites; watch for continued rise in specialised mushrooms in 2023; oyster mushrooms alone have surged by more than 100% in use as appetisers, according to one source.

Trumpet mushrooms are being utilised approximately 75% more frequently on restaurant menus; compare that to criminis, which was reported to be up only 12% in 2022.

Regional Pizzas

What kind of pizza comes to mind when you think of a mushy, cheesy slice? Is the crust thick, thin, or deep-dish? Pizza comes in an infinite number of flavours around the world. You might come across a wood-fired, chewy-crunchy crust in New York or Naples. Then there's Chicago, with its deep dish pizza with cheese on the bottom or a thick sheet-pan pizza à la Detroit. All of these sorts of pizza are already available and tasty, but don't be shocked if more varieties appear in your supermarkets or restaurants.

Curry

Chicken or vegetable tikka masala is a mild, almost sweet entrée with a tomato sauce with cream, chicken, and a blend of spices that could gain popularity in 2023. Because of economics, supply chain difficulties, and climate change, vegetarian curries and curry-related meals are expected to rise in popularity in 2023.The Indian restaurant Edinburgh has become well-known for its curries

However, Indian curries are only the beginning. Thai curries, Japanese curries, and Indonesian curries are just a handful of the many alternatives. Japanese curry alone is expected to grow in worldwide markets, and 2023 may be the year that some types finally gain traction. In the coming year, expect more curry meals, sides, and grocery store products to be available.