As consumers love of global cuisines and limited, seasonal offerings continues to grow – this year we've seen even greater appetite to celebrate Lunar New Year.
There's also renewed focus on authenticity and tradition, including auspicious celebration foods and regional specialties.
A few key take outs from our Lunar New Year 2025 report include:
- Make it snackable: 'Snackification' is on the rise in general, and Lunar New Year dishes deliver big this year in the grazing stakes. Think regional spring rolls, twisted bao buns, gourmet dumplings, bakes and pastries galore… This speaks to concerns around cost and affordability – as well as embracing eating habits of Gen Z (who eat what they like, when they like!), and the desire to lean into the festivities beyond single meal occasions.
- Get involved: As food consumption has been flattened into phone-sized images and videos, increased tactile experiences become gold dust – and a key ingredient for making a food experience memorable. So we're seeing interactive and experiential eating occasions on the rise… whether it's a surprising gooey centred treat, a dumpling relay race, or a curated Lunar New Year market, we are craving experiences that reminds us food and celebrations are multi-dimensional.
- Where in the world: Regional call outs are prevalent across food and drink, and Lunar New Year is no different. Menus get specific, calling out where dishes are from across China, as well as celebrating Lunar New Year celebrations from other countries – like Seollal in South Korea and Tết in Vietnam. We also see influence of the flavours across East & Southeast Asia being celebrated in new twists and formats, bringing a sense of playfulness and adventure to the table.
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