What's next?

The Next Sushi
By Adam Leith Gollner

Twenty years ago, a business lunch of raw fish and rice was unthinkable. Now you can stock up on maki at the 7-Eleven. Similarly, calamari went from scary, tentacled oddity to ubiquitous bar food, and balsamic vinegar—once considered an odiferous foreign sap—is a standard flavor in designer chocolates. So what's next? We'll tell you. Grab your bib.

1. Mongolian Hot Pot
With Asia taking over the world, Mongolian hot pot—a bubbling spiced broth in which diners cook their own food—is set to explode here.

2. Dosas
Connoisseurs no longer go out for Indian; they eat Madrasi, Malabari, or Gujurati. A byproduct of this regionalization has been the discovery of Southern India's dosas: large, thin, crêpe-like disks that are folded over and filled with curried vegetables.

3. Just Desserts
Pinkberry is just the beginning. Get set for more restaurants catering to the sweet-toothed set.

4. Pupusas
The booming number of Salvadoran immigrants in America means increasing opportunities to sample these flat patties made from maize flour. Thicker than tortillas, they're stuffed with meat, beans, cheese, or loroco flower buds and served with curtido (brined cabbage) and tomato sauce.

5. Small Plates
Going small is about to get big.

6. Korean Bibimbap
A tangled mélange of vegetables piled atop rice crisping inside a hot stone cauldron.

7. Mangosteens
The mangosteen, a Southeast Asian fruit often considered the most delicious in existence, was banned in America until last year. But with the advent of new X-ray irradiation technology, they are being imported.

8. Offal
Due in large part to celebrity chef Fergus Henderson of London’s St. John Restaurant, organs and offal are in. Done right, spare parts like kidneys, hearts, or sweetbreads can be delicious; done wrong, they're awful.

9. Singapore Street Food
Hot-dog stands will soon give way to clay-pot chicken-and-rice dealers, in what may become known as the Singaporization of American sidewalks.

10. Little Fish
As global fish stocks decline, little fish are moving up the food chain. Ethically preferable, smaller fish—think filets of sardine, fresh anchovies, and smoked sprats with horseradish—are sustainable, abundant, and flavorful. They're are also healthier than mercury-infused large fish.

www.goodmagazine.com

Adam Leith Gollner is a writer based in Montreal. His book, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce and Obsession (Scribner) will be out in May.
Related Articles

What's next? posted by Tammy on March 10, 2008 @ 10:45 AM
Filed under: