There are some food trends forecasted in 2025 that require more than just the latest new ingredient. Some of the trends include the uptick in cuisines, sustainability in the way we eat, as well as a reduction of alcoholic beverages, swapped for water infused with different things. What seems to be evident is the increase of sustainable ingredients in menus, making use of local produce, and putting a gourmet twist on things.
READ: 2025 food trends to try at home
Mexican
Looking around Manila’s dining scene, it is evident that authentic Mexican food is popular in a big way. Just in BGC alone in the last two months, there have been three new Mexican restaurants to open up.
When I first found out I could not have gluten eight years ago, I turned to Mexican food, as the authentic tacos are made of corn flour and filled with grilled toppings as well as a lot of vegetables, such as elotes, vegetable fajitas, and guacamole. All of those make for a healthy and fulfilling meal. The flavors are fresh and crisp, with tomato, onion, and cilantro taking center stage.
Try it at home: Camote Tostadas
Tostadas are traditionally made out of wheat flour and topped with a filling. For ease of preparation at home, we make use of flat bread or wraps, perfectly toasted.
Ingredients
2 whole wheat or gluten-free wraps, cut into 4 quarters
2 pcs camote, boiled and peeled
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 pcs sayote, diced
1/4 cup wansoy or cilantro, chopped
3 red tomatoes, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green lime
Salt to taste
Procedure
- Toast the quarter wraps until crispy and set aside.
- In a bowl, mash the camote. Season with pepper, paprika, and the garlic powder. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix the wansoy, tomato, and red onion. Squeeze the juice of the lime over it and mix well.
- Heat up a pan to high heat. Sear the cubed sayote until colored on all sides. Some water will run out of it, this is normal.
- Arrange the tostada by placing the mashed camote as a base, topped with the sayote and cilantro-tomato salsa.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms have slowly been making their mark. This comes alongside research that shows the benefits of these spores, from memory-enhancing properties and adaptogenic ones (found in Lions Mane and Reishi mushrooms respectively) to the more culinary mushrooms that are substitutes for meat.
Locally, oyster mushrooms are turned into inasal, marinated the same way as pork barbecue and skewered, or added to soups and broths, while the “tenga ng daga” or wood ear mushrooms are added to congee and pancit.
Using mushrooms as fillers to reduce the amount of meat is also a great way to reduce animal protein and increase the intake of vitamin B from the mushrooms.
Girl Dinner
I’ve been reading and seeing “girl dinner” pop up on my feed in the last few months. A Girl Dinner is a plate of food considered to be snacks put together on a plate, and eaten as a main meal. It’s meant to be easy, comforting, and satisfying. Think carrot sticks, hummus, charcuterie, breadsticks, whole eggs, and even popcorn.
When I saw this, I thought, well this is a good chance to turn leftovers into something trendy, while also converting last night’s leftover spaghetti into something new to eat again. As they say, we eat with our eyes, so presenting leftovers as “girl dinner” worthy food to your family will take some creativity. This is one of the food trends that takes a change of attitude, rather than an ingredient. Turn a “girl dinner” into an experiential meal for the family.
How to serve leftovers as a “girl dinner”: It’s all in the presentation
- Cut up leftover meat, chicken, or fish into bite-sized pieces. This works for grilled food or those without sauce.
- Serve bread or breadsticks alongside saucy dishes such as afritada
- Cut up some vegetables into sticks. This is purely aesthetic, but also a good way to get your family to eat more veggies.
- Serve cut-up fruit alongside your mains.
- Serve pickles and kimchi with the other dishes. Adding a new flavor changes the experience.