Food trends in autumn

Haute cuisine, like any family gastronomy, must adapt to various factors. Not only is it the season of the year, as we deal with autumn in this post, economic, social, cultural trends and much more also influence.

In this case, the main reason for a turn in the letter is the incipient cold. When temperatures drop we like to feel welcomed, well served and, why not, take a very warm bite to our mouths. In addition, we want new flavors, less light than in summer, and that is provided by all the typical ingredients of the autumn season.

 

Common and trending elaborations

If we think of a cold, windy and cloudy day, the first thing that comes to mind at lunchtime is a hot stew. Every year the trend returns, and this 2020 a great tribute is being made to traditional cuisine, to the commonly called “spoon”.

Creams are also part of the traditional recipe book of times like autumn, where ingredients such as pumpkin, zucchini or leek are the real stars. We can also add cauliflower to this dish, like the one we find in our tasting menu with Victorian anchovies … it couldn’t be more typical of this time! Another indisputable success is a good grill.

We leave the summer salads and fish behind to go on to have meat, with its juices, sauces and the perfect point to make our mouths water.

You know that at Venetiis Restaurant we have an excellent grill, right? An essential trend this year is the commitment to the simplicity of the dishes and the prominence of the main ingredients. When we get a dish without excessive details to be delicious, that is when we show the talent of our chef.

Fall ingredients

Base flavors are very important, and every year there are ingredients that we turn to without hesitation in autumn. Wild mushrooms are extremely characteristic. They are typical of this time because they grow favored by the humidity of the environment, and a good control of their intense flavor in a dish can bring us many compliments.

Along with the mushrooms we have a battalion of seasonal vegetables, very important to achieve a fresh result. Being able to access products that have just arrived from the garden is, more than a luxury, a requirement for good kitchens, and now is the time to buy pumpkin, zucchini, aubergine, sweet potato, spinach or chard.

Nuts are essential in a fall cookbook. Chestnuts, walnuts, acorns, hazelnuts … they are delicious ingredients and can help us to make a great sauce, accompany a meat or add the final touch to a dessert. Game meat is essential for grills, stews and dishes accompanied by these vegetables. Some are wild boar, roe deer, venison, hare, rabbit, partridge or quail, among others, and each one has very specific characteristics that you must know how to handle between stoves so that they fit well on the plate and have the right texture and juiciness.

To finish, many of the fall dishes are seasoned with a splash of wine or other alcohols. This enhances the flavor and helps warm the stomachs. In our kitchen we know this well, and that is why we include mead to our goat and dry Trasajeño to our risotto from the tasting menu.

The social factor as a gastronomic trend

We have been using this concept for a few years as a spearhead in haute cuisine. Responsible consumption and sustainable gastronomy are very relevant today, and more and more restaurants are joining the cause.

How do they do that? Using seasonal vegetables, local produce, meats from free-range animals and responsibly caught fish, buying products made in a fair trade environment … There is a lot to do, but every grain of sand adds to this great trend.