Food experts say these restaurant trends are dominating dining out — from mashups like birria ramen to ever-spicier dishes and the rise of ‘swicy’

Expect to see more fermented fish, plant-based meat, and cicadas on menus

What should we expect to see on menus in the future?

“Newmami,” using more adventurous flavors of umami that move on from ingredients like mushrooms and tomatoes, is set to be a big trend, Moskow said. This includes ingredients like fermented fish and vegetables, shrimp paste, dried seafood, seaweed, yeast, miso, and natto, she said. These could be incorporated into dishes as toppers for rice bowls and salads, she said.

Diners should also expect to see more hybrid fruits and vegetables, Moskow said, suggesting strawberry guavas and kiwi grapes. “We’re going to see more of that eventually that will trickle down into the restaurant,” she said.

Protein consumption is also likely to change, Moskow said. “Flexitarian or vegan is going to morph over the next couple of years because eating right for the planet doesn’t necessarily just now mean eating meat-free or alt meat,” she said. “It could be eating invasive species, which consists of fish like lionfish or cicadas or even nutria.” This could also include plants like duckweed and kudzu.

But alongside this, “alt meat is the future,” Moskow said. “We will need alt meat to work, to serve and to feed the growing population.”

“And when that cost comes down and it’s cheaper than the meat options, because the meat options have gotten so ridiculously expensive, it will be the future,” she said.