Hispanic-style cheese on the menu has been growing in the last four years. Since 2013, cotija — firm, crumbly and salty — has increased in retail volume sales by 6.4%. Queso quesadilla, as its name implies, is the melty cheese that can make quesadillas extra craveable. It’s increased in sales by 11.8% since 2013. And other Hispanic-style cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco are also becoming more popular. About a third of these cheeses are produced in Wisconsin where cheesemakers are taking their own slice of this new cheese opportunity.

At a recent Future of Food panel by Les Dames d’Escoffier New York, Susan Ungaro, panelist and president of the James Beard Foundation, said, “Food is fuel, food is medicine, food is community and food is happiness.” This statement introduced the theme of untapped culinary resources found in the ocean, with the possibility of introducing new sustainable, super-healthful-to-eat species to consumers, such as algae. It’s easy to grow and already being used by several cutting-edge manufacturers in milk, vegan eggs, ice cream, salad dressing, baking mixes, cookies and more.

Sugar has been under attack this year, and as consumers are increasingly looking to make healthier dining decisions, look for alternative sugars to take hold. Honey could be poised as a prime winner in this category, something SN saw plenty of at the recent Private Label Manufacturers Association show. Other products that offer an opportunity are “syrups made from dates, sorghum, and even yacon and sun root will join monk fruit on the market as emerging options for sweet,” according to the Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Panel Predictions for 2018.

Want to hit a home run with Millennial and Gen Z customers? Look to the dumpling. According to Datassential’s Flavor report, 26% of Millennial consumers and 23% of Gen Z consumers love dumplings. This is a great opportunity for the deli and prepared food sections and can encompass a variety of fillings, both meat and vegetarian.

Shrimp in grits in the morning, fish tacos in the evening and popcorn shrimp in between? That’s an example of just how deep seafood’s appeal and daypart opportunities can go. According to Datassential’s recent Seafood Keynote Report, 88% of consumers report snacking on items like popcorn shrimp, sushi and calamari.

Speaking of snacks, snacking occasions are twice as likely to be “driven by the desire for a reward or indulgence” than meal-based occasions, according to a study of 20,000 diners from age 13 to 75 by Coca-Cola Foodservice.

According to a recent report by Datassential, the flavor of Earl Grey tea is taking the nation by storm. A tempest in a teapot? It seems that operators looking for unique flavors are turning to the bold, floral flavor of Earl Grey in ice cream (at Molly Moon’s in Seattle), cocktails (in the Earl Grey Old Fashioned at Kona Grill in Scottsdale, Ariz.) and in a raspberry cake (at Café Life Bake Shop in Philadelphia).

A few years ago the breakfast trend was the acai bowl, but next year get ready for jianbing, according to the Sterling-Rice Group’s Culinary Trends 2018 report. Jianbing is a traditional Chinese street food breakfast crepe that’s brushed with hoisin (hello, umami) and chili sauce, then layered with egg, pickled veggies and herbs. Add traditional breakfast meats sausage and bacon and you’ve got a umami-packed morning meal. Sterling-Rice said American consumers aren’t quite ready for other traditional Asian breakfasts that are based with fish, but jianbing with its accessibility of egg makes for a great use of Asian-inspired morning meals.

Last summer Perdue Farms, the country’s fourth largest chicken supplier, said it was planning to experiment with birds that grew more slowly and more uniformly. Since then the company has set up a research farm to explore slow-growing birds, Andrea Staub, Perdue senior VP for corporate communications, said in an email earlier this year.

“Right now, we are still gathering data and learning more as we continue to evaluate slower growth,” she said. “We are currently looking at various ways to achieve slower growth through breed, diet or some combination. We need to find the appropriate growth rate that balances bird welfare, meat quality and affordability.”

According to Lucky Peach magazine, noncommercial foodservice companies Aramark, Sodexo USA, Delaware North and Centerplate have all expressed commitment to source only slow-growth chicken within the next eight years.