Flavours Less Travelled: World food trends 2024

International foods that are becoming increasingly popular in the UK include: Caribbean, Mexican and Eastern European cuisines. Whilst some dishes from these countries are familiar to people, consumers are becoming interested in and excited to experience a greater variety of authentic dishes.

For example whilst jerk chicken has become popular, Caribbean cuisine offers a wider range of dishes to try such as goat curry, rice and peas, plantain fries, as well as grilled fish and seafood dishes. Many are familiar with nachos and burritos, for example. However, Mexican cuisine offers a wide variety of tacos, corn based dishes, slow cooked meats and unique desserts. Polish, Hungarian and Romanian cuisines are the most popular cuisines that people are interested in trying from Eastern Europe. These use a variety of techniques, vegetables, herbs, pickles and spices to cook meats such as pork, beef, chicken and smoked sausages.

Many consumers have certainly developed more adventurous tastes in recent years, and the interest in trying new flavours, ingredients and cuisines from around the world has increased.

In 2023 we saw the emergence of Sri Lankan, Cuban, Pan African and Unusual Fusions. These are all still growing in popularity, however we’re expecting some new global cuisines to trend in 2024 including Caribbean, Mexican, and Eastern European (Polish, Hungarian and Romanian) cuisines.

You should include foods from around the world in your menu because it offers a variety of new and bold flavours and ingredients that will entice consumers.

We’re expecting Mexican, Caribbean and Eastern European cuisines to emerge in 2024 as the key trending cuisines. The National dishes for those countries are:

Jamaica: Ackee and saltfish (the ackee fruit prepared with salted cod fish) or Jerk chicken

Mexico: Mole poblano (dishes prepared with a savoury chilli and chocolate sauce) or tacos

Poland: Bigos stew (a traditional Polish stew using pork, kielbasa, and sauerkraut)

Hungary: Goulash (a soup or stew made with meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices)

Romania: Mamaliga (otherwise known as potenta, a porridge made out of yellow maize flour)

Consumers have become increasingly adventurous in their tastes when eating out of home, since the start of the pandemic, when travel was limited. The interest in world foods, dishes and cuisines continues to grow as consumers looking for new authentic dishes, beyond the well known favourites, that they don’t have to travel to experience. International foods that are building momentum include Caribbean, Mexican, and Eastern European cuisines. It’s not just the different flavours and ingredients that excite consumers about these cuisines, almost half of consumers are interested in the way a dish is cooked, and international cuisines use a variety of specific cooking techniques to make their dish a speciality.

Caribbean foods in general is expected to trend in 2024, as consumers continue to be more adventurous in the wake of the pandemic. Some of the dishes that we expect to become increasingly popular include warming comfort foods such as curried goat and ackee and saltfish. Other already popular dishes such as patties, jerk chicken and rice and peas will continue to grow in appeal, alongside tropical ingredients such as mango, coconut and pineapple, used across both savoury and sweet dishes. It’s fair to say that as consumer interest in authenticity of dishes grows, they are increasingly keen to try flavours, recipes and formats that extend beyond those well-known favourites such as jerk. Modern and remixed twists to authentic dishes may also be popular, as we will see menus incorporating the British Fusion trend inspire dishes such as Caribbean roasts, blending flavours of the Caribbean with well-known British dishes and formats.

The Jamaican foods that may be trending in 2024 include curried goat (a key source of protein), coconut rice and black eyed peas, a very popular dinner cuisine cooked in Jamaica that is full of flavour. It can be served with slaw and plantain sides. Another popular Jamaican dish is ackee and saltfish. Considered to be the national dish of Jamaica, it is a traditional Jamaican breakfast dish, but can also be eaten across all day parts.

Cuban cuisine food is a trend we focused on last year, and it is still emerging with 47% of people saying that they would like to try this cuisine. Although this trend is hard to find in the UK, examples of authentic Cuban dishes that are underpinning the popularity of this cuisine include Pina Rellena (roasted seafood inside an open pineapple), Masitas de Cerdo (seasoned cuban style pork) and Empanadas (meat filled baked pastry turnovers). Some of the common ingredients used in this cuisine include pork, seafood, locally-grown gruits and root vegetables, for example, yuca, okra and plantain feature in authentic Cuban dishes too.

Caribbean dishes offer a vibrant fusion of bold flavours and diverse ingredients, and can be a great addition to menus depending on the customers that you serve and what appeals to them. It’s becoming a popular cuisine served both at market stalls, as well as restaurants, as 44% of consumers are interested in trying Caribbean cuisine and 22% of the UK are already eating it.

This in-demand cuisine offers flavoursome comfort foods, for example Caribbean stews and curries, alongside street food dishes that are perfect all year round. Dishes often include a variety of rub-marinated meats, such as jerk chicken, curry goat or grilled fish that often incorporate scotch bonnet chilli, peppers, cumin and allspice. Sweet potato, beans and pulses, callaloo and carrots are examples of ingredients used for flavoursome vegetarian and vegan options, mixed with herbs and spices. Some of the diverse cooking techniques used in preparing Caribbean dishes include marinating, and barbecuing, and these can add a unique dining experience for your customers, together with great depth of taste and flavour.

Rum is a staple drink from the Caribbean that continues to stay on trend! 67% of consumers are likely to have a ‘go-to’ cocktail and three out of five of these popular cocktails contain rum. This versatile spirit mixes well with other spirits, juices, fruits and ingredients to make a variety of delicious cocktails, bringing out both sweet and sour flavours to give consumers a broad range of exciting choices on menus all year round. Dark, golden, white or spiced rums can be used in a fruity rum punch or in well-loved classics including Mojito’s, Pina Coladas, Mai Tais and Daiquiris. Rum also gives bartenders the ability to put unique and playful spins on signature and special cocktails because of its great versatility – adding more excitement to a drinks menu and enticing the more adventurous consumer.

Banana and rum fritters are a popular dish that can be served as a dessert or sweet snack. However, many of the sweet and spicy flavours that feature in Caribbean cuisine, including rum, tropical fruits, sweet potato, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg, lend themselves to a range of delicious Caribbean cookies, cakes and desserts. There’s a great tradition of baking cakes right across the Caribbean, such as Jamaican rum cake, Jamaican ginger cake, hummingbird cake and black fruit cake which are delicious examples that would grace any menu.

Interest in Mexican dishes, beyond the more familiar formats we know and love like nachos and burritos, is set to grow in 2024, as consumers look for more authentic dishes they haven’t tried before. UK consumers have demonstrated over the last few years that they have become more adventurous in their tastes, and this is fuelling the appeal of more authentic dishes within Mexican cuisine. Mexico is home to a very diverse range of tacos for example, as well as corn-based dishes and street foods. Some examples of popular dishes that capture the fresh and spicy flavours that make this dish so popular include: Tacos Al Pastor, the national dish of Mexico, which features marinated pork, often cooked on a spit, and Mexican Torta, which is a meat-filled sandwich containing ingredients such as cheese, refried beans, guacamole, peppers and other veggies, often sold as a streetfood. Corn on the cob, known as Elote, is a popular street food too, often covered with sour cream, cheese, lime and garlic. Carnitas is a dish made from slow-cooked, shredded pork topped with cheese and salsa.

Mexican food is already popular, with 44% of consumers engaging with the cuisine. However, although consumers are familiar with dishes such as nachos and burritos, interest in other dishes is growing as people are looking for a more authentic experience, and the opportunity to expand their experience of a cuisine they are only partly familiar with.

Authentic Mexican dishes offer a variety of different tacos such as tacos al pastor, corn based dishes such as esquites, slow cooked meats and unique cinnamon desserts. Mexican dishes feature ingredients and flavours such as chicken, fish and seafood, pinto beans, coriander, chilli and lime which add great flavour, spice and freshness.

Mexican cuisine is already familiar and popular in the UK, with 44% of UK consumers engaging with the cuisine. However, as UK consumers continue to show adventurous tastes and seek out new and less familiar cuisines, dishes and ingredients, many are interested in trying Mexican dishes that they haven’t tried before. Adding some more authentic Mexican dishes to your menu will add excitement for consumers who are keen to expand their experience of the cuisine, and enjoy more of the bold flavours, fresh and spicy tastes that make it so popular in dishes or formats they haven’t tried before.

Mexican cuisine lends itself well to a range of different menus and dayparts, from Mexican breakfasts (that feature eggs, spices and tortillas) to lunches on the go, street food and snacks to sit down dinners and sharing platters. There is also an opportunity to entice more vegan and vegetarian consumers as the cuisine, and particularly its use of corn, beans and pulses as staple ingredients, lends itself well to plant-based dishes.

Desserts may grow in popularity in 2024, as people look for new authentic experiences within Mexican cuisine. Whilst churros are the most familiar to people, there are new desserts that may pop up on the scene that also use cinnamon as a key ingredient. For example, Arroz con Leche – a Mexican rice pudding spiced with cinnamon and Camote Enmielado – a sweet potato dish simmered in cinnamon and topped with salsa and guacamole, blending sweet and savoury flavours.

Tequila is one of the spirits that has been trending in 2023, and its popularity is set to continue in 2024. This very versatile spirit is unique and authentic to Mexico, and is produced from the agave plant which is grown in certain Mexican regions.

Tequila can be drunk as a shot with salt and lime, but can also be sipped as a drink in its own right, and is also the main constituent of many cocktails, including the famous Margherita. One in three consumers typically drink tequila-based cocktails, and 21% of consumers typically drink Margaritas. Over 9% of cocktails in the UK are tequila-based. Tequila’s exciting fruity, sweet and sour or earthy taste makes it great to put on menus in the summer season.

Whilst consumers are familiar with Mexican dishes such as nachos and burritos, interest in the cuisine is set to grow as consumers are keen to explore more authentic Mexican dishes in 2024.

Some of those more authentic dishes that underpin the cuisine and which could trend in 2024 include the diverse styles of tacos and typical corn-based dishes that feature in Mexican food. For example, one of the most popular types of tacos are Tacos Al Pastor, made from marinated pork, often cooked on a spit, and a national dish in Mexico. Mexican torta is another popular streetfood, a meat-filled sandwich packed with a variety of ingredients including cheese, egg, vegetables, refried beans, guacamole and peppers. Carnitas is a dish made from slow-cooked, shredded pork topped with cheese and salsa. Esquites, a popular streetfood in Mexico, is a salad made with fresh corn kernels, mixed with cheese, garlic and lime, which adds a fresh, tangy flavour.

Eastern European food is one of those emerging cuisines that we expect to trend in 2024. Its initial popularity sprang from populations from Eastern European countries living in the UK, but the interest in these cuisines is now more widespread. In particular, we expect Polish, Hungarian and Romanian cuisines to grow in popularity. Some of the authentic dishes that are driving this appeal include stews, such as Polish bigos, Hungarian goulash and paprikash.
Eastern European cuisines are known for their grilled meats such as smoked sausages and meatballs, often served with vegetables, sour cream, dumplings, pickles (gherkins and sauerkraut), spices (for example paprika) and herbs like dill. Sweet desserts options include pastries, pancakes, cakes and pretzels, often featuring apple and berries.

Popular Polish dishes that are underpinning the growth in popularity of this Eastern European cuisine include winter warming dishes such stews like Golanka and Bigos or soups such as Ogorwoka. Savoury dumplings filled with potatoes, cheese, cabbage and mushroom are also favourites. Delicious Polish desserts vary in formats from the traditional szarlotka apple pie, to karpatka vanilla custard pastries or Andrut caramel wafers. Commonly used ingredients in Poland include sauerkraut , beetroot, gherkins, sour cream, kohlrabi, mushrooms, sausages and smoked sausages, chicken, beef, pork, marjoram, dill, caraway seeds, parsley and dishes are also sometimes accompanied by vodka.

Nearly half of consumers in the UK are interested in trying Hungarian cuisine. Hungarian dishes are known for their spice, more so perhaps than other Eastern European countries, as paprika is one of the main ingredients used in both sweet and savoury dishes. Examples of authentic Hungarian dishes that could work well on British menus include Hungarian stuffed crepes, paprikash chicken stew and langos, a pizza-like deep fried dough topped with cheese and sour cream. Ingredients commonly used in Hungarian cuisine include paprika, eggs, smoked bacon, cabbage, tomatoes, vinegar and picked ingredients, apricots and prunes, poppy seeds, sour cream, walnuts and hazelnuts, potatoes, pork and onions.

Eastern European cuisines in general are expected to trend in 2024, and Polish cuisine is one of those that we are expecting to grow in popularity. Initial interest in Polish cuisine in the UK came undoubtedly from Polish communities that settled in over recent years. However, the appeal of Polish cuisines has extended beyond these communities and the cuisine now holds broader mainstream interest, as the UK consumer has become more adventurous in their tastes. Typical dishes such as warming stews include ingredients that are not too alien or challenging for the UK palate, including smoked sausage and meats, potatoes, cheese, cabbage, gherkins, mushrooms, sour cream, and dumplings, to name a few.