With 2022 just about coming to an end, it is time to reflect on the year that was in the kitchen and remember this year’s memorable food and cookware trends. 2022 saw the emergence of many new trends in the kitchen with home cooks and professional chefs alike experimenting with a range of new cooking techniques, ingredients and recipes and began welcoming guests once again after the pandemic.
From Green Goddess Salads to butter boards and baking perfectly round cookies, 2022 was a year of great transformation in and around the kitchen. Le Creuset continued to evolve according to these trends, releasing new collections and new bold colourways, including Shell Pink, Rhône, the White Collection, and the Olive Branch Collection.
Beyond collections, we also released the all-new Bread Oven, elevating the bread-making experience all-while delivering bakery-worthy results. But without further ado, here are some of the most memorable food and cookware trends that were in 2022.
This Year’s Memorable Food Trends
Food trends are constantly changing, but with Le Creuset by your side, we have you covered. Here are five food trends we noticed in 2022!
Trend #1 - Butter Boards
The Butter Board trend took over the food world in the fall when a Brooklyn-based chef by the name of Justine Doiron decided to transform butter boards into the new charcuterie board. 173.4 million views later on TikTok and a new trend in the kitchen was born. But what is a butter board? Good question.
Put simply, a butter board is soft butter spread over a wooden cutting board sprinkled with a combination of condiments, ingredients and edible decorations. This dish gives home cooks the flexibility to incorporate ingredients of their choice and typically consists of a mix of salt, pepper, chili flakes, honey, lemon zest, fruit or vegetable slices, herbs or edible flowers.
Butter boards now serve as the ultimate show-stopping dish when welcoming friends and family over for dinner and are relatively easy to put together. Serve with sliced bread of your choice and enjoy! If you can't commit to the full butter board but want to recreate the essence of it, try our butter-dipped radishes!
Trend #2 - Green Goddess Salads / Celebrity Salads
2022 witnessed the rise to popularity of the Green Goddess Salad and the Celebrity Salad. Once again, TikTok was the main catalyst behind this trend when the Salad Lab went viral. The creator behind the account replicated salad recipes based on popular celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Kourtney Kardashian’s famous Poosh Meeting Salad, as well as Michelle Obama’s garden salad, to name a few.
It is safe to say that foodies all over the world ate it up, and this trend quickly hit the kitchen with home cooks and chefs alike adapting traditional salad recipes with more regularity. BakedByMelissa also hopped on the trend, releasing her very own take on the Green Goddess Salad. Typically, green goddess salads feature parsley, chives, sour cream, anchovies, mayonnaise, lemon juice and vinegar. Here’s how to make her Green Goddess Salad.
Trend #3 - Perfectly Round Cookies
Yet another food trend that took over the world in 2022 was when home chef BabyChrisMom unveiled a baking hack to prepare perfectly round cookies. The beauty of it? All you need is a glass or a can. Here is how to do it.
Once you have baked your cookies, simply place a can or a glass atop them. Next, rotate and spin the can for a few seconds and a perfectly-round cookie will emerge. Sounds too good to be true? Well, watch the video for yourself. Drawing over 50 million views over two videos, it quickly became clear that this food trend was here to stay.
Want to make your very own perfectly round cookies? Look no further than Italian Holiday Cookies or Spiced Cookies. Just be sure to have your cookie sheet and glass ready.
Trend #4 - Salmon Bowls
Emily Mariko, a 29-year-old lifestyle blogger and (you guessed it) avid TikToker took the food world by storm this year with her take on salmon bowls. This ever-popular dish has risen to prominence over the years, offering cooks an equally healthy and delicious dish.
Garnering over 195.5 million likes in a short period of time, Mariko’s Salmon Bowl confirmed it. But what goes into this delicious salmon bowl? Featuring four simple steps and 10 short minutes to prepare from start to finish, it is no wonder this recipe quickly became a sensation.
Her sauce, including a combination of spicy sriracha, creamy mayo, and savory soy sauce, elevates the traditional salmon bowl and is beloved for its simplicity and rich flavour profile. Simply prepare the sauce and drizzle it over the cooked rice and salmon et voilà – her Salmon Bowl by Emily Mariko is ready.
Trend #5 - The Rise of the Home Chef
Whether it’s due to a knock-on effect from the pandemic, or a byproduct of rising costs of eating out at restaurants remains unknown, but one thing’s for certain; more and more people are becoming home chefs and are experimenting with recipes and food like never before.
In fact, according to Statista more than 90% of millennials in North America prepared home-cooked meals in North America. From the rise of Butter Boards and Green Goddess Salads to salmon bowls and vegan alternatives to traditional staples, experimentation in the kitchen is at an all-time high. After all, nothing hits the spot quite like a home cooked meal.
This Year’s Memorable Cookware Trends
Food is not the only thing that changed in 2022 with home cooks and chefs alike opting to shake things up with their cookware. Here are four cookware trends from 2022!
Trend #1 - Versatile cookware is the norm
Gone are the days of inflexible cookware, serving one purpose in the kitchen. Instead, home chefs have shifted their attention to versatile cookware and multi-purpose pots. The Dutch Oven, arguably the original multi-purpose pot, is a great example of this, accommodating a number of different cooking techniques and styles.
From slow-cooking and braising to baking, searing, sautéing, and boiling, this iconic piece of cookware opens up the cooking possibilities in the kitchen. The Iron Handle Skillet is equally versatile and has since established itself as yet another workhorse in the kitchen. Whether you want to bake a fluffy cornbread, sear as steak, oven bake bacon, or fry ingredients, this cast-iron skillet has you covered. Versatile cookware not only saves you money but cuts down on clutter in the kitchen.
Trend #2 - Minimalism hits the kitchen
As the old saying goes, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Home cooks from across North America have embarked on this trend, making the most of minimalist serveware and cookware in the kitchen and at dinner tables.
Minimalist serveware ultimately lets your food take center stage, all-while adding an elegant touch to any dinner table. Our Minimalist Serving Platter embodies this shift to minimalism, acting as the perfect centerpiece for all your culinary creations. Blending seamlessly on any table, this serving platter is a great addition to any Le Creuset collection.
Minimalist cookware, including our White Collection, encapsulates minimalism and elegance at its finest with a pure white colourway, a glossy enamel finish and a shiny stainless steel knob. With 2023 around the corner, are you hopping on this trend?
Trend #3 - Home cooks value cookware that is compact and portable
Versatility is not the only thing home cooks value in the kitchen apparently. 2022 also witnessed the rise in popularity of cookware that is compact and portable. With potlucks and family dinners returning to the mix, home chefs have turned to cookware they can easily transport to gatherings.
The Oval Casserole, featuring a tight-fitting lid and easy-to-grip groove handles, captures this perfectly, helping cooks prepare, transport and serve dishes all in one pot. From baking desserts and roasting meat to broiling fish, this casserole is extremely versatile and can easily be transported to picnics, dinners, and more.
Portable cookware also ensures cleanup is a breeze, eliminating the need for tupperwares and single-use aluminum casseroles.
Trend #4 - Colourful cookware rises in popularity
2022 was also the year colour returned to kitchens with many home cooks swapping their boring appliances for vibrant pieces of cookware. Colour cookware is not only visually pleasing but is also a great way to contrast your existing kitchen decor with ease. Le Creuset was ahead of its time with this trend and is constantly releasing bold new colours to its iconic collection.
From our everlasting Cerise and the iconic Flame to our Blueberry and Sage has helped liven up kitchens across the world since 1925. Consult our Complete Colour Guide for more information on injecting new life into your kitchen.
Looking Ahead to 2023 in the Kitchen
Being the ultimate home chef and foodie means staying atop cookware and food trends as they happen. After all, food trends are always evolving, leaving those that do not follow them behind. Le Creuset’s commitment to innovation in the kitchen, be it with bold new colours or introducing new pieces of cookware, has helped chefs rethink food and cooking as a whole.
Whether it was all trendy butter boards, or minimalism taking over serveware trends, 2022 was undoubtedly one of the most memorable years in the kitchen. Which begs the question: What cookware and food trends will hit the kitchen in 2023?
These were just 9 of the food and cookware trends we noticed in 2022, but if you think we missed any, let us know – we are all ears. For more inspiration, visit our blog and read up on the latest tips for all cooking techniques, cookware, and care and use for all your Le Creuset products.
