Darkness descends onto fall menus

As the days grow shorter here in the Northern Hemisphere, seasonal menus move away from the fruits and bright flavors that dominate summer fare. The ubiquitous pumpkin and/or pumpkin spice offerings have begun to make their appearance, much to the delight of some and chagrin of others. Pumpkin may have finally hit its peak, with overall offerings down somewhat from previous years, when it was solidly on the upward trend. What will be the next “taste of fall”? According to Mike Kostyo, dark flavors might be the next big trend. 

Dark sweeteners like maple syrup, molasses, and treacle lead the charge, appearing on menus for everything from cocktails to desserts, Kostyo writes. You can find chefs touting their molasses-tinged barbecue sauce and see dark brown sugar and dark maple syrup being served up on your next bowl of oatmeal. 

Other contenders include dark beers like black IPAs and German dunkels and schwarzbiers, which are beginning to pop up on more drink menus. Dark colored fruits and vegetables also count as ‘dark’ flavors, says Kostyo. “Dates, plums, prunes, purple carrots, and dark greens like kale and mustard greens also have deeper flavor profiles that work well on fall menus,” he notes.  The move toward these dark flavors reflects a larger shift in consumer preferences toward more bitter flavors.

Photo of Homemade chipotle molasses BBQ sauce from BBC Good Food Magazine