From ramen to jerky to bourbon, these are some food and drink trends to look out for this year

By Jake Grove of the Independent Mail

There are trends in everything these days.

Music trends tend to last about three months (anyone really remember Meghan Trainor these days?).

Fashion trends last less time, probably clocking in at about two months at the most (thank goodness skinny jeans are gone).

And don’t even get me started on the next big thing in technology, because it will be pass in a month or less (so long iPhone 6, welcome the iPhone 7).

But trends in food are something different.

Food and drink trends tend to stick around a little longer, allowing for restaurants around the country and the world to catch up a little bit and get in on the action.

Once upon a time it was vodka and its flavored counterparts that ruled the beverage roost.

Then, along came the many faces of craft beer, which has dominated the landscape for the last four to five years.

With food, we were enamored by the gluten-free lifestyle for a time and wanted to eat everything “paleo.”

But there are new trends that will stick around for the 2016 calendar year and you should know them before you head out on this year’s vacation or for your next day trip to the closest major metro.

We have put together some trends that are blowing up right now and will likely continue to do so the rest of the year.

See what you think and plan accordingly on your next dining excursion.

Ramen

Not so long ago, the broth diet fad was a thing. People were extolling the virtues of bone broth and enjoying it as a meal, a snack and everything in between. And while the broth fad might have faded, it has been replaced by something we all know and love: ramen.

But this isn’t the ramen of your college days. No, this is ramen that is made using rich, savory bone broth and noodles that won’t bust your diet.

Ramen noodles are lighter and can be manipulated to absorb flavor well and doctored to fit any taste.

You will find them in noodle shops and you can order it as pho or other noodle dishes, but it’s all the same concept.

Take some bone broth, add Asian-style noodles, put in hot sauce, soy, onions and other umami flavors and repeat.

Fermented foods/pickled foods

There is a craze out there right now for pickles.

Not just dill pickles or bread-and-butter pickled cucumbers, but all things pickled.

The days of a simple cucumber representing the pickled world are gone.

Today, it’s cauliflower, carrots, beets, ginger, Brussels sprouts, onions and so much more.

Just take a look around Anderson to see the pickled influence.

SummaJoe’s Searing Pans has one of their most popular sandwiches, the Hot and Juicy, covered with pickled veggies.

And at Carolina Bauernhaus Ales on Sunday, you can get a charcuterie board with cured meats and house-pickled veggies that pair with their funky brews.

So, look for pickles or start pickling yourself to play with this newest trend.

Crazy-topped pizza

Used to be that only a few places had the guts to have fun with their pizzas. With most of the population loving their classic pepperoni and cheese pizza, it seemed silly to try and mix things up too much. But those days are gone. The wild-topped pizza is part of the future and it’s not going anywhere.

From Mellow Mushroom to SummaJoe’s to Rick’s Pizza Pub and Joe’s New York Pizza, purveyors of this most popular pie are going way outside the box to come up with new flavors all the time. Mellow uses Asian flavors to top many of their pies while experimenting with funky cheeses and different sauce bases. At SummaJoe’s, it’s all about putting a flavor experience on a pie from their specials like smoked salmon and capers to their South Cackalacky pie with pimento cheese. Joe’s New York Pizza still makes their mark with classic pies, but have seen an uptick in wild flavor requests that just seem to work. And it’s even more interesting in the home pizza market where anything goes.

Fast casual dining

The trend of fast casual dining isn’t anything new, but it is something that is trendy right now. Places like Chipotle made this concept popular, but it’s been those places that take it to the next level that are keeping the trend alive.

In Greenville, there are spots like Grill Marks where people can enjoy a fine-dining experience with fine-dining ingredients while hanging out in their T-shirts and jeans. They can enjoy infused vodka cocktails and craft beer while waiting for their gourmet burger topped with pork belly or microgreens. It’s true of several places around Greenville and the concept is working its way toward Anderson and Clemson slowly but surely.

Jerky

Where there are pickles, dried meats are not far behind. Jerky is the kind of quick, portable snack that is ideal for people on the go. It’s packed with protein, low on sugar and can come in a variety of flavors.

It used to be that beef jerky was the only dried meat you would see, but turkey jerky, salmon jerky and wild game jerky are all making big strides to show that you can dry anything and enjoy it.

There are several jerky stores popping up in the Greenville, Charlotte and Atlanta areas with Anderson following suit to sell more jerky in specialty stores throughout the area. But with so many strict laws for making and selling jerky, you won’t see a lot of farmers markets filled with the stuff made by local folks.

Regardless, jerky is a trendy snack right now and shows no signs of slowing.

Bourbon and Scotch

On the beverage front, bourbon and Scotch have taken over for the vodkas and tequilas of yesteryear. Just look at the Scotch shelves at your local liquor store and you will see everything from a $20 bottle of basic stuff to bottles that cost $200, $300 and $400 each.

As for bourbon, it’s become the single-most popular spirit in the last couple years. People are searching for specific bottles and the secondary market on brands like the Van Winkle family of bourbons is through the roof right now. Heck, even derivations on Van Winkle are hot sellers only being allocated to accounts and then sold one bottle at a time, sometimes in a lottery.

This holds true for cocktails as well with bourbon and Scotch being mixed in creative ways at your favorite bars.

There are other trends to be sure. Things like hot fried chicken (thank you very much, KFC) and tropical beers (pineapple, mango and tangerine, oh my) are hot right now. There are even dining experiences that will be hot like the immersed dining or the self-serve beverage market. But these are some you can enjoy right now, before they become passe, even for Upstate South Carolina.