In 2022, We'll All Be Eating Croffles, Egg Bread, And Pizza Cones

You see that good-looking sugar bomb in the photo above? That's a croffle, a croissant-waffle hybrid that originated in South Korea, and it's trending in a big way. At least, according to Yelp, which just released its 2022 Food Trend Forecast Report.

Per a press release sent to The Takeout, Yelp's trend predictions are based in search terms. Yelp's data science team reportedly analyzed millions of reviews to find "the words and phrases that were rising significantly between 2020 and 2021." That process involved measuring the frequency of certain food-related phrases over time. Finally, Yelp consulted an internal "Trend Expert" to finalize the list. The 2022 trends include the aforementioned croffle, as well as egg bread like brioche and challah. The list also includes:

• Macadamia Pancakes, which Yelp says "bring the flavors of Hawaii, a popular 2021 travel destination, to tables, no matter where in the world you're dining."
• Malasada, a Portuguese deep-fried dessert that Yelp says is "much beloved in Hawaii." (Can Yelp cool it with the Hawaii promos? We're still in a pandemic, and local officials are explicitly asking tourists to back off.)
• Blonde Pizza, otherwise known as white pizza due to its tomato-less nature.
• Pizza Cones, which Yelp says "take the typical pizza slice structure and turns it into a delicious hand-held treat, stuffing the inside with fillings of your choice."
• Calic Bread, another viral trend hailing from South Korea, which combines garlic, cream cheese, and sourdough bread.

Yelp's report also includes rising industry trends including pet-friendly dining, the continued rise of restaurant reservations, and, yes, more ghost kitchens. (We're not particularly happy about that last one.)

Between our trend predictions and Yelp's trend predictions, 2022 is certainly shaping up to be an interesting year. You can see the full report here; check it out, then be sure to let us know if we're missing out on any trends.