Top Cheese Trends to Watch in 2022

According to the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Cheese, 2022 is set to be a big year for cheese, with consumption at record highs, new emerging flavors, and classic dishes getting an upgrade with specialty cheese. They've released the following trends:

• Classic Dishes Get an Upgrade. Millennial and Gen Z foodies are looking to recreate classic comfort dishes with a new twist. Retailers can tap into the trend by providing tips and recipe suggestions like Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread, Monte Cristo Swiss Strata, and Maple Cheddar Dutch Baby.

• Upcycling Leftovers in the Home Kitchen. Food waste is estimated at between 30 to 40 percent of the U.S. food supply, according to the USDA. While consumers look to reduce food waste in their homes, retailers can suggest new ways to use leftovers like upcycling Parmesan rinds for broths, sauces, and risotto for a rich, savory flavor.

• Discovering Global Flavors at Home. While travelers stayed grounded during the pandemic, they quickly learned they don't have to leave home to experience the world's best food. Many top-rated cheese shops carry a variety of Wisconsin cheeses with German, Swiss, Italian, Dutch, and Hispanic roots for consumers who want to explore something new and expand their taste buds.

• Some Like It Hot. In addition to crafting award-winning cheeses that were born abroad, like alpine-style or juustoleipa, Wisconsin cheesemakers are developing new cheeses including some with serious heat that consumers crave. In 2021, buffalo-flavored cheese sales grew 145.2 percent and ghost pepper-infused cheese increased 45.8 percent.

• Cheese Will Bring People Together. Coming together over a cheese board is a trend that is here to stay. Cheeselandia, a community that has over 4,000 members who stay connected on social media and join monthly virtual events to get a behind the scenes look at creameries, meet Master Cheesemakers, cook with top rated chefs, and learn from cheesemongers, was named the Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year by AdWeek Performance Marketing Awards.

"Cheeselandia offers people a way to meet new friends and discover new destinations without ever having to leave home, giving members a sense of community and belonging while bonding over a shared love of cheese," said Suzanne Fanning, senior vice president for Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin and chief marketing officer for Wisconsin Cheese, in a statement. "We have exciting things planned for the year ahead and we're excited to see cheese continue to bring people together.”

Related: Fairtrade America Reveals Top 2022 Consumer Trends; Slideshow: Whole Foods Predicts 2022 Trends.

from Food Trends https://ift.tt/3HhZWoo