From spicy street food to Instagram-worthy sushi bagels, global cuisine is heating up in 2023. As local food scenes become more diverse – it’s easier than ever to experience international fare without leaving the country– or even your house.
Over 80% of DoorDash consumers say they order takeout or pick up more than the previous year. Top delivery choices include Mexican, Japanese, Italian, and Chinese.
Consumers also tend to be more adventurous with their food choices when dining out than eating at home; 92% of DoorDash survey respondents said they like trying new menu items. Often, it’s as simple as wanting to switch things up or treating themselves to indulgent options.
Italian Cuisine Leads on Instagram
That aligns with the latest study on popular cuisine trends, analyzed by assessing close to 83,000 restaurants worldwide in the 50 most visited cities. Italian food was the most popular cuisine worldwide, followed closely by Japanese.
Pizza is unsurprisingly the dominant choice, along with other classic Italian fares like spaghetti and risotto.
Japanese cuisine was a close second choice, undoubtedly led by the rise in popularity of both sushi and ramen. In the U.S. alone, sushi restaurants’ revenue has increased by 24% in the last five years. Growth trends continue as the demand for sushi increases.
Sushi donuts, sushi burritos, and complex sushi rolls are leading the food trends in supermarket sushi, according to Josh Onishi, President of Peace Dining Corporation, America’s largest sushi company.
Said Onishi, “Gone are the days of starchy rice and limited selection; customers are enjoying and demanding fine restaurant quality sushi and innovative sushi options in their supermarkets as well.”
Pizza and BBQ are Top Global Food Choices
Pizza wins by a landslide regarding top global food choices, with over 60 million tags on Instagram in 2023. Barbeque is a distant second to the world’s most popular meal type. While barbeque is often synonymous with slow-cooked brisket and dry-rubbed ribs, it’s far from an American concept.
Slow-cooking meat over a fire is one of the oldest ways of preparing food, and most cultures have their take. Japanese yakitori, Korean barbeque, Jamaican jerk chicken, Mexican barbacoa, Australian shrimp-on-the-barbie, and even New England clambakes are all global barbeque experiences.
In addition to pizza and BBQ, top food choices include brunch, sushi, seafood, and steak. With an increasing focus on global health and sustainability, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) expects fresh, plant-based ingredients to top this list in the coming years.
Mexican Food Tops LA Food Scene
The sizeable Mexican-American population in Los Angeles has led to a surge in the popularity of Mexican cuisine, surpassing even local food. As a result, the city boasts a thriving culinary landscape, with many restaurants and food trucks offering authentic Mexican dishes, like street tacos, tamales, and fresh, homemade salsas.
Mexican cuisine is renowned for using fresh ingredients, such as tomatoes, avocados, tomatillos, and chili peppers, readily available in Los Angeles’ year-round sunshine.
In some cities, the most popular cuisine differs from the local one. For example, Italian food is more available in Cairo when compared to their local cuisine. In Dublin, Chinese restaurants make up more than 25% of dining options.
Chinese Restaurants Are The Most Common Eatery Worldwide
Chinese restaurants are the most common eateries found across the most visited cities in the world. In 1972, President Nixon visited Beijing; the first time a U.S. President had visited China since 1949.
Demand for Chinese food seemed to explode overnight, with eager diners looking to enjoy the Peking duck and multi-course feasts they had witnessed Nixon enjoying on TV.
Today, over 45,000 Chinese restaurants are operating in the United States alone, more than all the McDonald’s, Pizza Huts, Taco Bells, KFDs, and Wendy’s combined.
After Chinese, Italian, Indian, Japanese, and American cuisine, top the most common eateries you’ll find in the most popular cities. Vineet Bhatia, an Indian chef with restaurants such as Kama by Vineet in Harrods, London, and Indego by Vineet in Dubai, says the increase in Indian food popularity is due to the variety of spices used.
“India has always been associated with yoga, healing, and Ayurveda, and it was natural for the healing properties of spices to come to the forefront. This led to an increase in the use of Indian ingredients and a further digression into how you can cook in various ways incorporating these spices into your daily habits,” says Vineet.
As food culture continues to evolve, it’s clear that the global appetite for diverse and delicious cuisine is stronger than ever. The top cuisines of 2023 reflect a growing interest in outside, innovative flavors mixed with healthy options for a unique culinary experience.
This article was produced by Delish Knowledge and Syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, NYT Bestselling Chef, and founder of Delish Knowledge and Plant-Based Juniors. She focuses on making whole-food, vegetarian eating deliciously simple. Her nutrition expertise and must-make recipes have been featured in Forbes, Today, The Washington Post, Parents, Vogue, Food Network, and more.
