What’s hot in the nation’s kitchens for 2013?

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What will everyone be talking about — and munching on — in the food world this year? What were we obsessed with in 2012? Check out our top 10 lists to see how far we’ve come in a year and what’s coming to your plate soon.

∎ Top recipe searches

1. Chicken

2. Crockpot

3. Halloween

4. Vegetarian

5. Salmon

6. Beef stew

7. Zucchini

8. Eggplant

9. Cake

10. Shrimp

Source: Yahoo

∎ Most appetizing yet stomach-turning searches

1. Candy Corn Oreos

2. Pork doughnuts

3. Bacon ice cream

4. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

5. Deep-fried strawberries

6. Beer milkshake

7. Fried Kool-Aid

8. Guinness cupcakes

9. Maple bacon beer

10. Grape jelly meatballs

Source: Yahoo

∎ What’s hot for chefs

1. Locally sourced meats and seafood

2. Locally grown produce

3. Healthful kids’ meals

4. Environmental sustainability as a culinary theme

5. Children’s nutrition as a culinary theme

6. New cuts of meat (Denver steak, pork flat-iron)

7. Hyper-local sourcing (ie. restaurant gardens)

8. Gluten-free cuisine

9. Sustainable seafood

10. Whole-grain items in kids’ meals

Source: National Restaurant Association

∎ What’s hot for bartenders

1. On-site barrel-aged drinks

2. Food-liquor/cocktail pairings

3. Culinary cocktails (savory, fresh ingredients)

4. Micro-distilled/artisan liquor

5. Locally produced spirits

6. Locally sourced fruit/berries/produce

7. Beer sommeliers/cicerones

8. Regional signature cocktails

9. Beer-based cocktails

10. Locally produced beer

Source: National Restaurant Association

∎ 2013 buzzwords, phrases

1. More chicken (often upscaled), less beef

2. Menu shuffling aimed at flexitarians

3. Fermented everything

4. Gourmet doughnuts get bizarre upscaling (foie gras jelly doughnuts, hamburgers between two griddle doughnuts, kimchee doughnuts)

5. Zip-code honeys

6. Craft bourbon, small-batch rye, local gins

7. Asian flavorings: (togarashi, yuzukoshi, gochujang)

Source: Baum + Whiteman, an international food and restaurant consulting firm