People do this every year. No matter how accurate or far off our hunches may have been the previous year, we love trying to predict future trends. Last year, I must say, the general food community pretty much nailed it! Check out our Food Trend Predictions for 2011, and judge for yourself!

Moving on to 2012, predictions are much more varied. Still, we at Parties That Cook are happy to take a stab at it. Here are our Top 10 (or so) Food Trend Predictions for 2012!

1. Kale – In everything. Whether it’s dried kale chips, kale Caesar salads, green smoothies, etc., kale is moving up in the world and back into our lives this year. Insider Tip: Parties That Cook will be putting a kale on our upcoming menus. Keep your eyes peeled for the recipe!

2. Fusion Foods – This controversial trend includes such bright ideas as tikka masala burritos and Asian tacos. Some folks would rather see the end of these culinary experiments, while others welcome the possibility that dim sum might be branching out with California twists.

3. German Food – With the recent surge of beer gardens popping up on the scene, one can only speculate that German food will rise in popularity. Side note: Peruvian food is another ethnic food category with high expectations in 2012.

4. Pretzels – Only time will tell how HOT these will be, but if appearances on menus late in 2011 are any indication, it’s fiery. Check them out on our menu in both sweet and savory forms!

5. Mushrooms – Sustainable foods seem to be a priority deserving of their own category, so it’s only fair that mushrooms take a spin in the spotlight. People are foraging and growing mushrooms from popular DIY kits. Bring on the mushrooms!

6. Coconut – No, not water. This year, it’s all about deliciously sweet coconut jam! Bibby served this jam at our office holiday party. Way to be ahead of the curve!

7. Social Cooking – With the increasing ease of sharing EVERYTHING via social media, we’re going to see a continuing rise in food photography, social eating, and social COOKING!

8. Pickling – If the 2012 Fancy Food Show (in San Francisco) offers any hints at coming trends, pickles and home-pickling are set to make a big scene this year.

9. All These Things! – Courtesy of the PTC team, here’s a quick list of this year’s up and coming items: “Buratta has gone mainstream… It’s on every menu!” “Meatballs are going to be BIG in 2012. All kinds!” “Ethnic spices. Definitely check out Williams-Sonoma’s collection of World Spices.”

10. Things that were trending in 2011, and will CONTINUE to trend in 2012:
–Food trucks: Take ‘em or leave ‘em, they haven’t saturated the market in enough cities to officially be “OVER”.
–Pies: While the rise in popularity over the cupcake was arguable in 2011, this year brings fun twists to these already versatile treats (i.e. Pie Pops).
–CSAs and Buying Local: Haven’t heard the word hyper-local yet? Don’t worry, you will.
–Bacon: Might never come down from its chart-topping position. Now, with bacon chocolate, bacon beer/cocktails, bacon baked goods, and bacon things that shall not be mentioned in this blog, bacon has more ways than ever to stay on our plates and on our mind.
–Eating Healthy: Little Miss Muffet’s secret is out! Whey is the next step in healthy eating and weight control. Find it in water, smoothies, and sauces this year.

Have your own trend predictions for this year? We’d love to hear them! Let us know what you think the next BIG thing might be in the comments!