6 food and drink trends driving menus around the world

Restaurant customers around the world are pretty much looking for the same things as American consumers: Value, convenience, quality and lots of flavor. And operators are delivering, according to Technomic’s Spring 2024 Global Menu Trend Study. From Australia to Thailand, Germany, Brazil and all stops in between, restaurants are exploring ingredients and formats that innovate the menu yet meet today’s eating styles. Here are six global trends worth watching.

Snacking occasions are on the rise and coupled with value, restaurant chains are creating bite-size versions of sweet and savory foods that are more gently priced. Auntie Anne’s, a brand known for its snacks, launched Ham & Cheese Pretzel Sandwich Bites in Thailand—a downsized portable take on a ham and cheese sandwich. And local Australian chain Hungry Jack’s put Burger Bites on the menu, a combo of beef, cheese and ketchup coated in crispy breading.

In South Korea, Ediya Coffee rolled out a line of Drinking Yogurts that blend sweet and sour flavors for a sippable snack rich in probiotics. Heytea in China debuted Farmstead Avocado Yogurt as an LTO, combining avocados with yogurt made from fermented New Zealand milk for a tangy beverage in a pale shade of green. And yogurt-based coffee, tea and soda drinks are offered at Thai concept Arigato. Technomic reports that 24% of consumers in Asia order yogurt drinks on occasion, compared to 17% in other parts of the world.

Away-from-home breakfast purchases are most prevalent in the Middle East (39%) followed by Asia (33%). Shake Shack introduced a lineup of internationally-inspired breakfast sandwiches and coffees in China, while Popeyes expanded into breakfast in the U.K., complete with coffee drinks. The food selection includes handheld hash browns, biscuits and egg sandwiches with chicken, bacon and sausage patties.

Popeyes is heating things up in China too, but this time the heat comes from a change in temperature. Through the wonders of technology, the fast-food chain is serving warm milkshakes in flavors of jasmine, pear and cheese pumpkin. Costa Coffee in the U.K. is jumping on the trend as well, with warm shakes in White Chocolate & Strawberry, Chocolate Hazel and Salted Caramel Coffee. They’re kind of a coffee-milkshake mashup.

In some countries, poke is emerging as a build in nontraditional applications. Frittenwerk in Germany serves cubed, raw fish as a topping for french fries in a variation of poutine. Koni Store in Brazil subs breaded chicken bites for fish in Crispy Chicken Poke, rounding out the dish with carrots, tomato, seaweed salad, shredded cabbage and cream cheese. In France, Pokawa created a Pokiwi bowl composed of kiwi fruit, marinated salmon, lemon confit sauce, yuzu-flavored sesame seeds and cream cheese on a bed of grains.

Both familiar and more exotic melons are showing up in desserts and drinks around the world. Starbucks offers a Gohobi Melon Frappuccino in Japan, a mix of green honeydew juice and milk, finished with orange honeydew pulp and a honeydew jelly base. Denny’s tapped muskmelon for five dessert specials at its Japan locations. And the Yubari Float at KFC in Indonesia combines Japanese Yubari melon with mango poppers, vanilla soft serve and whipped topping. Traveling across the ocean to Mexico, local chain Vips has three limited-time summer drinks featuring a blend of cantaloupe, lemon and mineral water rimmed with lemon and chili.