#Netherlands #Rotterdam #Unilever #Future Menus #Asian Flavors

Unilever Food Solutions Unveils Future Menus Trends for 2025

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) has officially launched its third edition of the Future Menus report, highlighting four essential trends set to shape the foodservice landscape in 2025. The data reveals a significant shift in culinary preferences, with Asian flavors starting to surpass the traditional European stalwarts like French and Italian cuisines. This year's report shows that Chinese and Japanese cuisines now rank among the top five favorites worldwide, appealing to all age demographics, while Korean and Mexican flavors are also becoming increasingly sought after.

Major Culinary Shifts

The report underscores the transition from Western to Eastern dining trends and from North to South in culinary influences. This phenomenon has led to distinct global menu trends for 2025:

1. Street Food Couture: Traditional street food is being redefined as gourmet offerings, thanks to the creativity and expertise of chefs across various dining channels, including fine dining. Gen Z plays a significant role in this trend, with about 65% actively seeking value-driven food experiences. Popular options include Mexican, Indian, Korean, and Philippine street foods, with Filipino cuisine gaining notable traction in the U.S. and across Asia. UFS supports chefs with products like Hellmann's Real Ancho Chipotle Sauce and Spicy Mayonnaise, perfect for tacos, burritos, spring rolls, dumplings, bao buns, and Korean corn dogs.

2. Cuisine Without Borders: Globalization and migration have led to a beautiful fusion of culinary traditions. Chefs are leaning into their multicultural roots, inspired by travelers eager to experience local cuisines. Statistics indicate that 76% of tourists wish to delve into local culinary cultures. Essential ingredients, including Knorr Professional Chicken Powder, enhance this melding of flavors, allowing chefs to combine traditional tastes into unique dishes such as pasta, stews, and burgers infused with Southeast Asian spices.

3. Culinary Roots: This trend focuses on rediscovering and elevating lesser-known hyper-local recipes and ingredients. Cuisines from Hunan, Emirati, Basque, and Oaxacan are being revitalized by chefs. UFS’s team of over 250 international chefs provides culinary inspiration, empowering clients to embrace and promote indigenous culinary traditions through innovative recipes and techniques.

4. Customized Cuisine: A growing desire for personalized and immersive dining experiences drives this trend. About 47% of consumers prefer to invest in experiences rather than material goods. In response, UFS offers training, menu engineering, and integration of menu trends to assist businesses in meeting this demand.

Star Chen, CEO of Unilever Food Solutions, stated, "Future Menus ensures chefs are equipped to meet the changing demands of clients by tapping into key menu trends. We provide more than three million customers globally with expert advice, recipe inspiration, and professional products to satisfy their growing appetite for Asian and South American flavors highlighted in this year’s study."

The Future Menus trend book will be complemented by localized editions on ufs.com throughout the year, featuring the best dishes and recipes tailored to meet the demands of diners in various countries where UFS operates.

About Unilever Food Solutions

Unilever Food Solutions operates in over 75 countries and contributes to 20% of Unilever’s food products. As a chef-driven company, UFS offers high-quality products, industry insights, and expert support to the food service industry. With its powerful brands like Knorr Professional and Hellmann's, UFS helps chefs enhance creativity, profitability, and well-being through innovative recipes and training initiatives. For more details, visit www.ufs.com.

About Future Menus Research

The Future Menus 2025 report was developed using robust global data, combined with in-depth insights from chefs, including industry reports and social media analysis of over 237,000 keywords from 312 million searches across 21 countries. UFS's 250 professional chefs' perspectives and detailed feedback from over 1,100 culinary professionals from 20 global markets were crucial in translating this information into actionable solutions for foodservice operators worldwide, including recipe ideas and ingredient solutions.

For media inquiries or expert interviews with UFS representatives, please contact media relations at [email protected].