Food today occupies a space far more crucial to us than ever – beyond mere sustenance, lifestyle preference, or exploration, we are reverting to the belief system that food is medicine, a concept that had always prevailed in traditional Indian Culinary culture. There has been a growing realization that culturally, India is more a continent than a country, with as many cuisines as there are regions. Within India itself, there is an increasing demand to explore diverse regional flavors and to embark on culinary adventures. The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2023 – India – An Atlas of Flavours provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving culinary landscape, showcasing the rich diversity and flavors that Indian regional micro cuisines have been gaining over time. Regional cuisines have taken the lead, as consumers embrace diversity and look for distinctive gastronomic experiences.
Thanks to the industry’s delivery of fresh concepts that include bespoke bars, vegan cafés, global, regional, and even fusion cuisines that focus on fresh ingredients, and chef-driven small menus with local specialties, with single-concept and cutting-edge meals, cloud kitchens will contribute to the smorgasbord like never before. Eating plant forward, local, seasonal, optimizing everything, reducing kitchen waste are all practices traditionally followed in our culinary culture even today when we move away from the urban hubs.
The report saw the coming together of over 350+ thought leaders that included celebrity chefs, home chefs, professional chefs, food bloggers, health professionals, media professionals, mixologists, nutritionists, restaurateurs, sommeliers, food producers, and more, all of whom shared deep insights about their respective areas of expertise.
The report further reveals some interesting trends on Indian regional cuisines:
Exploration of cuisines: 64% of the panel foresee the yearning for adventure of the palate will drive people to explore cuisines other than their own such as different regional cuisines
Exploration of culinary roots: 65% of the panel believe that there will be a focus on the deeper exploration of one’s own culinary roots too
Rise in demand for homestyle food: 65% of the panel also feel there will be an increase in demand for home-style food from cloud kitchens for daily consumption and 64% of the panel foresees rise in regional Indian cuisine concepts as will be for chef-driven specialty rotating menu-based offerings
Menus inspired by culinary heritage: 75% of the expert panel foresees diners experiencing and seeking out menus inspired by culinary heritage
Demand for hyper-regional sweets: With the growing excitement and demand for regional cuisines, 75% of the panel also predict rising interest in hyper-regional sweet offerings
Indigenous cuisine to shine: A massive 54% of the panel anticipate consumer’s interest in exploring tribal/indigenous cuisines whereas 53% of the expert panel believes there will be an exploration especially of Northeast Indian cuisines
Mindful and healthy cultural cuisine: As per cultural preferences, 75% of the expert panel foresees an increase in regional culinary experiences boxes such as the ones curated for Onam Sadya or Maharashtrian Pangat because they meet the need for health and mindfulness while celebrating regional authenticity
Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, managing director of Perfect Bite Consulting and Curating Editor of the annual Godrej Foods Trends Report says, “The pandemic caused a paradigm shift in the global and Indian food industry, disrupting food systems and fundamentally altering people’s relationships with food. Food became the focus in that period, offering entertainment, comfort, and more. This accelerated the regional renaissance of Indian food that had been brewing over the last decade. As I have said in the 2023 edition of the report, with the pandemic having impacted how we consume food, today, it is all about the food of our ancestors, nostalgia-driven dishes, and local, regional foods of India. Health has become the cornerstone of all our food-related decisions. But our palettes are desperate for adventure, and we have realized there is a lot of adventure with flavors at home. Pop-ups and collaborations with custodians and regional cuisine specialists will proliferate across both food and beverage. Culinary travel will drive food connoisseurs to travel for new cuisines, ingredients, and new ways of eating and eventually look for those flavours at home.”
