Whole Foods predicts 2027 US food trends: bitter flavours, beans and Japanese yōshoku

The 2027 dinner table may taste a little more bitter. On 14 October 2026, US supermarket chain Whole Foods Market published its food and beverage trend predictions for 2027, naming bitter flavours, beans and Japanese "yōshoku" as its three headline trends. In the same month, food-service data firm Datassential and market research firm Innova Market Insights also released their own 2027 outlooks.

The three reports are mainly forecasts. Their directions overlap in places and differ in others, so they are best read separately.

Whole Foods bets on three things: bitter, beans, yōshoku

The Whole Foods forecast comes from its Trends Council, whose members include buyers, foragers and culinary experts. Besides the three headline trends, it lists five secondary ones: Terroir, Beautrition, Dish Reinvention, Ingredient Minimalism and Zero Waste 2.0.

Bitter: Bitter Done Better

Whole Foods calls this trend "Bitter Done Better" and links it to three drivers: broader consumer palates, interest in digestive health, and the "sober-curious" move towards drinking less alcohol.

The list is specific. Vegetables include chicories (radicchio, endive, escarole), broccoli rabe and dandelion greens. Flavourings include fennel pollen, tarragon, burnt sugar, liquorice root and even ash. Ingredients trending on social media include liquorice, salmiak and bitter melon.

UK trade publication The Grocer reported on 15 October that the Whole Foods UK Trends Council also expects bitter flavours to appear more often on menus and in packaged foods and drinks.

Beans: from side dish to main course

Whole Foods predicts that beans and lentils will move from supporting role to centre stage, citing their relatively affordable price and their role as a source of protein and fibre. The company also describes them as good for gut health. Example dishes include brothy butter beans, crispy chickpeas, lentil bowls and heirloom bean stews.

Beans are even gaining communities of their own: Rancho Gordo and SIMPLi run bean subscription clubs, and "BeanTok" content on social platforms is driving interest. In the UK, The Grocer reported that the enthusiasm will continue into 2027.

Yōshoku: Japanese home-style Western food

"Yōshoku" refers to European and American home cooking adapted to Japanese tastes. Whole Foods predicts it will gain ground in the US. Representative dishes include tonkatsu, Napolitan spaghetti, Japanese curry rice, omurice, wagyu hamburg steak and curry bread.

Whole Foods says Japanese home-style food is spreading from restaurants to sauces, breads and dairy products on grocery shelves, and mentions that its own Japanese milk bread, launched in late 2025, went viral on social media. The Grocer also reported that Japanese home cooking will have a bigger influence in the UK.

The other two forecasts look at different things

Datassential's 2027 trends report, covered by Prepared Foods on 12 October, lists ten food flavours and ten beverages. On the food side, buldak (Korean spicy chicken) and Sichuan doubanjiang are on the list. Beverages include koji milk, an alternative milk made with Japanese koji, Korean rice wine makgeolli, Vietnamese salted lemonade and cantarito, a Mexican citrus-soda cocktail.

The coverage also cites several growth figures. FoodNavigator, quoting Datassential, said mango has grown 48% on menus over four years, while amba, a sauce made from unripe green mango, vinegar and turmeric among other ingredients, has grown 25%. Prepared Foods reported that pulque, a fermented agave drink, has grown 147% on alcoholic-drink menus over four years.

Innova Market Insights announced its Top 10 Trends on 8 October. The first two are Nutrient Density Design and Precision Protein, followed by directions such as Ferment Forward and Sensory Playground. Its press release says 59% of global consumers read most or all of the nutrition information on packaging, 36% seek high-quality protein and 56% look for interesting combinations of textures.

The three do not speak with one voice. Whole Foods treats protein and fibre as selling points for beans, Innova puts nutrition and protein first, and Datassential concentrates on flavours and dishes. Innova did not separately predict bitter flavours, beans or yōshoku.

Editorial view: what is worth trying and what is packaging

The following is the editors' judgement, not a conclusion from the sources.

• Worth trying: bitter vegetables, beans and yōshoku. All three are real ingredients or dishes, so there is no need to wait for the trend to arrive; you can cook them tonight.
• Worth watching: doubanjiang, koji milk and hibiscus from the Datassential list. Datassential says hibiscus is tart and suits the market's interest in less sweet flavours.
• Look twice before believing: new coinages such as Beautrition and Ingredient Minimalism. Whole Foods names sardines, oysters and collagen tea among foods for "beauty from within", but this is a brand prediction and these reports do not show that the benefits are proven.
• A short ingredient list is not automatically better: Whole Foods says its quality standards ban more than 300 food ingredients and predicts that shoppers will treat short ingredient lists as a sign of quality. That is a forecast about consumer attitudes, not a nutrition rating.
• Brand examples are not endorsements: products Whole Foods mentions, such as Ghia and Lapo's Amaro Cola, only illustrate concepts. We have not verified where they are sold or their prices, and they may not be available in Hong Kong or Taiwan (as of November 2026).

Trying it at home: three starting points

We could not verify consistent quantities, temperatures and timings from three or more recipe sources, so this article offers directions only and no specific figures. Please follow a reliable recipe and adjust for your own cooker.

1. Bitter starter: choose chicory or broccoli rabe and cook it simply with garlic and olive oil, letting the bitterness sit alongside the richness of the oil.
2. Beans as the main: start with the brothy butter beans or crispy chickpeas Whole Foods cites, and put the beans in the centre of the plate rather than on the side.
3. A yōshoku weekend: omurice and Japanese curry rice are both representative yōshoku dishes listed by Whole Foods and make an easy introduction.

Food safety: cook dried beans thoroughly, following the packet instructions, before eating. If omurice is made with a runny egg, pregnant women, older people, young children and people with weakened immunity should use fully cooked egg instead. Eating raw oysters carries some risk. People allergic to sesame, nuts or shellfish should read the ingredient list carefully before buying sauces and packaged foods.

The most useful thing about trend forecasts is not guessing which item will take off, but the reminder that there are still many flavours on the table you have not tried. Starting with a plate of bitter greens is more practical than chasing any new coinage.

Sources

• Amazon About (Whole Foods Market press release): Whole Foods Market reveals its top food and beverage trend predictions for 2027, 2026-10-14, https://press.aboutamazon.com/2026/10/whole-foods-market-reveals-its-top-food-and-beverage-trend-predictions-for-2027
• The Grocer: Whole Foods Market bets on bitter flavours, beans and 'beautrition' to shape grocery in 2027, 2026-10-15, https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/whole-foods-bets-on-bitter-flavours-beans-and-beautrition-to-shape-grocery-in-2027/724862.article
• Prepared Foods: Datassential identifies food and beverage trends to watch in 2027, 2026-10-12, https://www.preparedfoods.com/articles/131963-datassential-identifies-food-and-beverage-trends-to-watch-in-2027
• FoodNavigator: Fizz, ferment and fire: What's next in flavour, 2026-10-15, https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2026/10/15/2027-flavours-from-buldak-to-koji-milk/
• Innova Market Insights: Innova Market Insights has announced its Top 10 Trends for 2027, 2026-10-08, https://www.innovamarketinsights.com/press-releases/innova-market-insights-has-announced-its-top-10-trends-for-2027/

Prices and details correct as of November 2026

Any recipe amounts, temperatures and times are compiled from several sources and are a guide only. Take food-safety care with raw, allergenic or high-risk ingredients.