The Rise of Nordic Cuisine and Where It's Heading In this column, Badaracco chronicles the rise of Nordic cuisine and discusses where the trend may be going. She notes that trends can emerge from several different paths and parents. One path type is known as a courier. Travel often acts as a courier to the food industry—consumers travel, sample local cuisines, and return home, where they seek to replicate their food experiences. The Nordic cuisine trend's parent is Arctic travel, which began in 2011 and has continued into 2016. In the United States the trend has moved from New York City restaurants to Bacardi's Arctic berry rum and into the family casual dining scene. It is strongest, in the bakery category, as grains often act as an interpreter that allows consumers to enter a new food trend seamlessly. It's popularity is due in part to the health benefits offered by the New Nordic Diet, which emphasizes “purity, simplicity, and freshness” and increased use of seasonal foods. The diet emphasizes locally grown and sustainable food sources and focuses heavily on consumption of foods thought to promote health based on mainstream nutrition science. As long as the New Nordic Diet sustains its positive ties with clinical health research and travel, expect more regional specialties to surface and delight consumers. |