The plates may be cleared from the 2013 dining table (don't let the door hit you on the way out, Cronut), but that doesn't mean a new slew of food trends for 2014 aren't already being served up across the country.
From the "hottest" to the "most disgusting" to those from industry experts, food and drink predictions for 2014 are everywhere -- and in almost any form you'd like.
What do they mean for Arizona? Time will tell. But to prepare, here are ten of them interpreted specifically for our state's more interesting aspects.
See also: 10 Best Dishes of 2013
Trend: Distracted Dining What it Means: "Restaurants are beginning to put menu items into forms that accommodate the cell phone obsessed -- so you can eat with one hand, while the other holds the phone." (via: Food Channel) Arizona Translation: Food that can fit into a gun holster.
Trend: Entomophagy What it Means: Edible insects (via: Details) Arizona Translation: Do scorpions count? If so, let us know where to send them.
Trend: Haute Jewish Cuisine What it Means: High-class deli food. (via: CNN Wire) Arizona Translation: Chompie's Jewish Sliders -- now with pickle!
Trend: Retail + Food What it Means: "Retail stores with brand-themed restaurants." (via: Kitchen Daily) Arizona Translation: Battling another diner over a one-winged, half-price roasted chicken mixed up in a bin of Tory Burch flats at Last Chance's new in-house restaurant, Food Fight.
Trend: Tea-Infused Cocktails What it Means: "Tea is the hot item for 2014." (via: Mojo Bistro) Arizona Translation: "Yeah, but will it get me drunk?" says everyone at Casey Moore's.
Trend: Mexican World Tour What it Means: Mexican flavors make their way around the globe. (via: The Gourmet Retailer) Arizona Translation: Wait, this is a trend?
Trend: One-Step Convenience What it Means: Products for people who don't want to spend more than 35 minutes preparing a meal. (via: Food Navigator) Arizona Translation: We can fry an egg on the sidewalk in 15 minutes. What else ya got?
Trend: Click to Cook What it Means: "As consumers continue to rely on technology for the sake of convenience and saving time, people will begin to rely more on their mobile phones when grocery shopping." (via: Consumer Goods Technology) Arizona Translation: Sun City residents now calling grandkids to pick up hard candy for them at Safeway.
Trend: Everything Under the Sea What it Means: In the same vein as the nose-to-tail trend, "exploring the full bounty of the ocean." (via: Andrew Freeman & Co.) Arizona Translation: Olive Gardens throughout the Valley take the path of least resistance and add "bottomless buckets of canal dredge" to the menu.
Trend: Off-the-Plate Dining Experiences What it Means: "Multi-sensory experiences when eating out." (via: Fine Dining Lovers) Arizona Translation: Haboob dining -- it's dust-licious!
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