Global Report Reveals That Malaysians Can't Get Enough Of These 3 Food Trends
These three food trends are among the top eight global food trends.
By Timothy Tuan — 28 Aug 2023, 11:00 AM
A global report, called Future Menus, recently revealed the top eight global food trends that all chefs should leverage on
The Future Menus report was conducted by Unilever Food Solutions (UFS), a subsidiary under Unilever that aims to provide solutions for chefs and F&Bs.
It collected data and information from 1,603 chefs in 21 countries, social media and Internet searches in 11 countries for 77,000 food-related keywords, 25 food and menu trends reports, in-depth interviews with 20 experts, and more.
UFS Malaysia introduced the food trends at its Future Menus event, which was attended by marketers and chefs from various F&B companies, restaurants, and cafés
This includes A&W, Secret Recipe, La Juiceria, Debic, Voilà Patisserie, and more.
Held at Artisan's Playground by COOKHOUSE, the Future Menus event unveiled the eight food trends:
- Irresistible Vegetables
- Modernised Comfort Food
- Low-Waste Menus
- Wild & Pure
- Flavour Contrast
- Feel-Good Food
- The New Sharing
- Mindful Sharing
Out of these eight global food trends, the top three food trends in Malaysia are The New Sharing, Flavour Contrast, and Feel-Good Food.*
*N=40, Restaurant & Café Operator Survey on Future Menu Trends
Dhillon Ng, Head of Country for UFS Malaysia, shared that identifying food trends is essential, as they carry a big influence on our food consumption
Together with Chef Elgin Chew, UFS Malaysia's Executive Chef, the duo enlightened the public about the meaning and importance behind the top three food trends in Malaysia:
- Flavour Contrast: This trend is about putting together unexpected combinations of flavours, colours, and textures to attract the public's attention.
- Feel-Good Food: This trend highlights positive yet tasty dishes that boost the mind, body, and spirit. It attracts foodies who emphasise wellness and healthy living.
- The New Sharing: This trend is about bonding around generous dishes that are food for the soul, a common tradition practiced among many Malaysians.
To get the public to better understand these three food trends, UFS Malaysia invited renowned and veteran chefs to demonstrate how to turn these food trends into practical, easily actionable, and locally relevant menu items
The New Sharing Station
This station featured Chefs Stéphane Frelon and Abang Brian from Le Cordon Bleu, as well as Moderator and Sous Chef at UFS Malaysia, Chef Andy Ang.
The trio prepared beef bourguignon, a French dish, but with a focus on using as many local ingredients as possible.
As Chef Stéphane demonstrated his cooking prowess, Abang Brian, along with Chef Andy, shared the concept behind the French dish.
Abang Brian said, "In line with The New Sharing trend that we have going on, we're bringing this dish that's close to the heart of the French, but in a version that's halal, which we're able to share with everyone here."
Flavour Contrast Station
This station was moderated by Chef Elgin, and featured Chef Loi and Chef Otto, both of whom are World Pastry champions, Founders of Voilà Patisserie, and Ambassadors of Debic.
Chef Otto baked the Pandan Lily, a sort of cupcake with fillings consisting of crunchy peanuts and black glutinous rice, as well as whipped cream made from pandan. Meanwhile, Chef Loi presented the L. Calamondin, a small, creamy cake with calamansi lime and ginger as the main ingredients.
Chef Loi shared that he takes inspiration from his life experiences and childhood in order to come up with new creations and flavours. Growing up, he drank a lot of Chinese soup with ginger.
"I found that [the ginger's] spiciness paired really well with calamansi, enhancing the sourness of the fruit. One is sour, and the other is spicy, making it a refreshing palate for diners," said Chef Loi.
Feel-Good Station
Last but not least, this station featured celebrity chef and singer, Chef Dato' Fazley Yaakob, as well as nutritionist at La Juiceria, Ahmad Aizat. The moderator was Chef Hadzrin, who is the Senior Sous Chef at UFS Malaysia.
As Chef Dato' Fazley is almost 50 years old, he said this food trend is especially important to him, as vitality and healthy eating are something he is trying to incorporate into his daily lifestyle.
While whipping up a local dish consisting of smoked vegetables, lemak cili api sauce, basmati rice steamed with pandan, and pink bergedel, he said that the key to healthy eating is enjoying what you love in moderation, and substituting ingredients for a healthier alternative.
"I believe in creating healthier food, not healthy food. So, I still use santan, but in moderation. I try to use less salt, sugar, and fat," said Chef Dato' Fazley.
After the cooking demonstration, the Future Menus event continued with a panel session by leading F&B marketers, who discussed the importance of leveraging food trends and going digital
From left to right: Josh Ho, Summer Ng, Evelyn Lee, Mihira Kulatunga, and emcee Nadia Heng
Image via SAYS
The panel discussion featured:
- Evelyn Lee, Head of Marketing at Secret Recipe Cakes & Café Group
- Summer Ng, Head of Marketing at La Juiceria Group
- Mihira Kulatunga, Country Marketing Manager at UFS Malaysia
- Josh Ho, Head of Business Development at TabSquare
Countless new trends emerge every year, so how do F&B companies, restaurant and café owners, as well as chefs ensure that their creations and business stay relevant?
Evelyn said, "Marketers need to choose very carefully. When you pick up a trend, how do you make it relevant to your brand and customers? We cannot jump on every single trend, as some of them do not speak to our brand and audience."
Summer agreed, adding, "For La Juiceria, it's more of how we leverage the health trend. Our slogans always evolve with the trend, from 'healthy is the new sexy' to 'eat good, feel good'. And now, we're looking to promote [a new slogan], 'greatness starts from within'."
In terms of going digital, Josh shared that it's important for F&B businesses to become hybrid in order to provide more service.
"By going digital, you'll be able to retrieve data from customers, so you can analyse consumer behaviour and preferences, allowing you to personalise menu items and come up with new creations," he said.
UFS Malaysia takes pride in leading the professional food service industry by offering high-quality food ingredients and value-added services
UFS produces and supplies renowned food ingredients, such as Knorr Professional, Hellmann's, The Vegetarian Butcher, and Carte d'Or to 76 countries worldwide. UFS works closely with chefs and distributive partners, striving to provide sustainable solutions that resonate with the culinary world.
Learn more about the Future Menus campaign and UFS Malaysia on its website
