Smoking is heating up in 2016

Smoking, both as a cooking technique and flavor enhancer, is heating up foodservice kitchens. In the National Restaurant Association’s 2015 Culinary Forecast, smoking was named one of the Top 5 preparation trends.

Cooking with smoke infuses flavor into food without adding extra fat or salt—a plus for health-minded diners. Here’s how some members of FoodService Director’s Chefs’ Council expect to see smoking rise in the coming year, from our fall menu trends survey. 

How are you trying or expanding smoking techniques in 2016?

“Smoking of meats using cherry or hickory.”
John Andrews 
Corporate Director of Culinary and Nutrition Services
Ohio Presbyterian Retirement Services
Columbus, Ohio

“Slow smoking.”
David Sutton
Executive Sous Chef
Bon Appétit at SAS Marketplace Café
Cary, N.C.

How will smoke show up on chefs’ 2016 menus?

“Veggie-based items, like our Smoked Trumpet Mushroom ‘B'LT’”
Daniel Skay
Nutrition Manager/Executive Chef
Castle Rock Adventist Hospital
Castle Rock, Colo.

“[We plan to add] smoked turkey, chicken and pulled pork, served as tacos, BBQ sliders and sandwiches on whole-grain Texas toast.”
Eli Huff
Owner/Executive Chef
SaltFoodGroup Consulting
Tulsa, Okla.