How India eats: Godrej’s report reveals top 9 food trends for 2023

Indians will snack more, and dining in and out will both get more experimental than ever before, reveals Godrej Food Trends Report 2023. (Photo: istockphoto/Twitter)

For the last six years, "Godrej Food Trends Reports" has been drawn upon the insights of more than 1,500 experts and thought leaders from food, beverage, and allied industries. Here is what stands out in the 2023 report:

1. More Indians will continue to snack than ever before

No matter what part of the country we are from, Indians have always loved our snacks. The pandemic has only provided a boost to the industry that is predicted to explode in the coming decade. The "Godrej Food Trends Report 2023" predicts that the heavily populated segment will now have players such as home chefs, and traditional snack makers will join artisanal and new-age snack brands in the FMCG segment.

The idea of mindful and healthy eating will drive the demand for diet-friendly, nutritionally-fortified snacks that use good-for-you ingredients like millets, as well as vegan and plant-based offerings.

2. Dining in will be more experimental than ever

With people spending more time at home during the pandemic, cooking became more than just a hobby and dal chawal made way for khao suey. Even as we emerged from the pandemic, we did so with caution. Restaurant visits were, at first, limited and dining in was preferred.

The report suggests that the culinary exploration during the lockdown changed food consumption patterns at home. As a result, more Indians will continue to explore their culinary roots, delving into the heritage of their community and family as well as regional cuisines.

According to the report, people will now gravitate to homemade, authentic, from-scratch masalas, and condiments over shortcuts.

3. Nostalgia will play a huge role in what we eat

Early last year, we explored why we were craving comfort food during the pandemic. The 2023 Godrej Food Trend Report predicts that nostalgia will serve as a huge motivator for what we eat.

Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z will seek comfort in nostalgic foods, flavours, and brands, the report states. Retro themes will, therefore, inspire house-party menus, restaurant décor, merchandise and packaging, as well as digital collectables across all platforms.

4. We will seek kitchen tools that marry modern design and traditional techniques

The rising interest in regional and traditional foods as well as foods that evoke nostalgia will translate into traditional Indian cookware made from stone, brass, or terracotta. Similarly, the focus on health will also mean that appliances like steamers and air-fryers will see a rise in demand. Kitchen tools that marry modern design with traditional materials and techniques (such as slow cookers) will be popular with consumers in 2023, the report says.

5. Cloud kitchens and home kitchens will continue to grow

While the concept of cloud kitchens has been growing for some years now, with the Covid-19 pandemic helping it grow exponentially, the concept of home kitchens is predicted to grow, too.

According to the report, home kitchens tend to earn a lot more respect and trust and such kitchens will grow in cities such as Mumbai. For those who are unable or unwilling to cook but also crave for homemade food, home kitchens will serve as a better (not to mention healthier) option to ordering in from a restaurant or a mass cloud kitchen.

Similarly, the number of cloud kitchens that offer vegan, plant-based, or health-boosting menu offerings is predicted to increase, according to the report.

6. Dining out will get more experimental than ever before

While 2022 was a good fear for F&B, the industry is poised for rapid growth in 2023. The report predicts the rise of the travelling restaurant/bar (chefs/ mixologists/restaurants popping up in other cities) as the top trend of 2023.

When it comes to dining out, we will have more options to pick from than ever before. Cuisine-agnostic, ingredient-first restaurants will grow as will nostalgia-driven menus. Similarly, those seeking clean eating will find more farm-to-fork meal options.

The report also predicts the rise of unexplored regions such as the northeast of India as well as flavours of indigenous tribes in different parts of the country.

7. Sustainability will play a big role in the world of cocktails

More bars have been embracing sustainability than ever before, the report says. More bars are conscious of the wastage that goes into each cocktail and are working to reduce it as much as possible.

The report cites Copitas, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, whose Greener Future menu is inspired by the ethos of using the whole plant — from seed to fruit — on the bar menu. “The idea is to ensure synergy between the kitchen and the bar to ensure the culinary concepts of local ingredients, seasonality, and ideal pairing, are all embodied in both food and drinks,” the report says.

8. Desserts and mithais will get more exclusive

Sweets and desserts are an important food category in India and one that will continue to grow. Restaurants are, therefore, predicted to invest in their sweet offerings as diners will seek to visit restaurants specifically for signature desserts.

As far as the dining-in sector goes, home bakers, home chefs, pastry chefs, legacy mithai-wallas, and confectioners will expand on the customer base built during the pandemic. Indian mithais will, of course, remain close to our hearts, high-end gourmet mithai will also see innovation.

Similarly, health-conscious mithai options will continue to grow in 2023.

9. Millets are the future

Millets are good — not just nutrition-wise but also for the environment. The UN General Assembly has declared 2023 as the International Year of the Millets. So, you can expect millets to become more accessible and therefore part of more menus, no matter whether you’re dining in or out.

“The focus on health and mindfulness and demand in the alternative diet-based category will offer much opportunity to innovate with dishes and menus built on millets for vegan, plant-based, and health boosting offerings,” the report says.