Datassential, the leading food and beverage market research platform, comes out every month with food, beverages, and seasonings making a splash in restaurants. Knowing the latest food trends and sharing them on your digital platforms can help attract new customers, enhance your visibility, and increase the bottom line.
So, let’s see what flavors and foods are making headlines as spring approaches.
Whipped Feta
Nation’s Restaurant News reported on this tangy cheese topping that’s finding its way onto more restaurant menus and social media platforms. It’s inspired by Greek feta cheese dips and is often featured on TikTok as an easy appetizer dip. While recipes vary, it’s usually made by blending feta cheese with Greek yogurt and herbs.
How did this make the headlines? TikTok, of course. It began when a TikTok recipe for baked feta pasta went viral, sparking the use of creative masterpieces and feta cheese.
Drizzled with honey and walnuts, TikTok’s rhubarbandlavender makes it look pretty delicious.
Restaurant chefs are drizzling their take on it over food or using it as a topping.
Ghee
Another star on the rise for some time is ghee, a type of clarified butter from India in which the water and milk solids have been removed. There, it’s used in cooking as well as in medicinal remedies. It transforms into a golden, pure fat used for over 5,000 years in recipes, religious ceremonies, and Ayurvedic medicine.
Here, it’s trending among health-conscious consumers who see it as healthier than regular butter, which has more milk solids and lactose. Its long history and traditional uses also inspire interest. Ghee Indian Kitchen recently opened in Miami, with two James Beard Award nominees at the helm, Chef Niven Patel and Mohamed “Mo” Alkassar. You’ll find Ghee Naan, a flatbread made with ghee, yogurt, and flour, on the menu.
Salted Egg Yolk
In February, NRN and Datassential reported on the rising demand for salted egg yolks. Unfortunately, this consumer craving couldn’t have come at a worse time, with egg prices soaring. The USDA reported that retail egg prices increased by almost 14% in January 2025 after rising over 8% in December.
In California, you’ll find a dozen eggs cost, on average, about $9.50. Denny’s made headlines when they announced adding a temporary surcharge at some restaurants to meals with eggs.
However, an extensive Egg Markets Overview by the USDA shows some relief in sight and reasons to get out our egg recipes once again. Their report suggests that outbreaks of the highly pathogenic avian influenza have slowed down over the past week, and demand has eased, both contributing to reducing the egg shortage that prompted escalating prices.
Activist groups think otherwise, believing the skyrocketing price of eggs has more to do with companies leveraging the crisis to raise prices.
So, what about salted egg yolks? These yolks are cured in salt and offer umami-like flavors. While a staple in places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and other Asian countries, today, in America, its widespread use has garnered Yelp’s attention.
Look for “the 10 best salted egg yolk in ‘your town,’ and Yelp will share their list. For instance, in Chicago, the places to make Yelp’s list include Dai Yee’s Asian Kitchen, Szechuan Corner, Chengdu Bistro, and Wentworth Seafood House.
Dukkah
The seasoning to encounter Datassential’s radar is dukkah, an Egyptian ingredient. NRN states, “While still a niche ingredient, dukkah’s presence on restaurant menus in the United States is expanding, reflecting a broader trend of incorporating Middle Eastern specialties and ingredients.”
A blend of nuts, seeds, and warm spices, it’s used as a dip with bread, such as pita, and as a crust for meat and fish. Emerging from ancient Egypt, dukkah means “to pound.” Even today, in many Egyptian homes, it’s created by pounding seeds, toasted nuts, and whole spices using a mortar and pestle.
According to NRN, one restaurant to include its warm, nutty flavor is Fig & Olive, a Mediterranean restaurant with multiple locations in New York, Houston, and Washington, DC. There, they serve pumpkin dukkah, chile oils, and pickled onions with sweet potato and goat cheese flatbread. In a world where global flavors are trending, it’s easy to see why this ancient Egyptian treasure captures the attention of restaurants and guests.
