3. Pickled/fermented
Fermented fare is still on trend (with mentions up 23.8% over three years per Technomic’s MenuMonitor), but we’re now seeing applications move beyond pickled vegetables to include fruits. Pickling any products in-house is not only inexpensive for operators but also provides an opportunity to market fare as premium and housemade and to use pickling jars as decor (as seen at Baroo in Los Angeles).
Berries in particular are getting the pickling treatment. Black Market in Indianapolis, for example, serves roasted marrow bones with a pickled blueberry-parsley salad.
The sour flavor that comes with pickling adds a new flavor dynamic to sweet fruits.