Americans love to cook in their backyards. But the good old grill is evolving rapidly, as are our taste buds! Hot tip: fresh oysters will receive a lot of attention in the media this year.

Here are some emerging food trends you’ll be hearing more about in 2015:

• Grill & Barbecue: The National Restaurant Association lists BBQ (cooking low ‘n slow with lots of hardwood smoke) as the number one persistent food trend for 2015. The barbecue’s popularity is firmly entrenched on our nation’s society, culture and taste, so it’s not going away.
• Fire Roasting: Fire roasting is the third most important food trend of 2015, after barbecuing and grilling. Fire roasting is defined as slowly cooking food by open flame, but at temperatures lower than those used for grilling. Meat, vegetables, and even fruit can be roasted between 300-350 degrees to create delicious flavors.
• Smoking: Smoked foods come 4th in the list of top food preparation methods for 2015. And you may be surprised at what is being smoked: cheese, fish, coffee, salt, and even smoked ice cream will grow in popularity in 2015. Of course, to become a great smoker chef, you’ll need to invest in some equipment: different types of smokers (wood, charcoal, pellet, gas), but also smoking woods, chips, chunks and pellets.
• Pulled Pork & Chicken Wings: To create masterpiece menus with these foods, you’ll need some grill accessories and recipes.
• New Cuts of Meat: Over the last decade, The National Beef Council and the National Pork Council have introduced a number of new meat cuts, as a way of repurposing underutilized cuts of meat. “Flat Iron Steaks” were introduced, which are simply shoulder blade steaks, renamed. To aid in the transition between beef and pork cuts, the pork industry began renaming many of their cuts to beef cut names, using terms like porterhouse and ribeye. Visit the National Beef Council and Pork Council websites to stay informed of the new cuts and the councils’ recommendations on how to cook those new cuts.
• Smoked Salt: What? Easy to do and so delicious, too! There are various types of exotic salts that can be smoked. Until recently they’ve been stocked only in upscale food or kitchen stores, but you will see more of them in stores that sell grills as the trend grows this year.

For more information about this year’s top food and dining trends, watch this video from restaurant.org.

Also try searching online for “Food Trends 2015” for more information.