Many Americans enjoy unique dining experiences at fine restaurants. Over the past year, even more people have visited restaurants that offer fine-dining, and there has been a three percent increase in the number of people enjoying a meal at a fine-dining establishment. While true leaf microgreens are often served at many of these higher-end restaurants, they are also added to different dishes at upscale pubs, bistros, and cafes.
There are so many unique flavor profiles for true leaf microgreens. It’s important to note that “true leaf” refers to the first leaves that appear on these flowers and vegetables. Even though there are approximately 100 types of edible flowers, many of these, such as rose petals and violets, are crystallized. These are often used to decorate cakes and to accompany other types of decadent desserts.
It’s not unusual to visit a restaurant that is re-envisioning a variety of popular dishes. Rather than adding the traditional lettuce or cabbage to tacos, for example, some restaurants are giving this popular meal a new flavor profile by adding microgreens. These and micro herbs are also added to other American favorites such as salads, sandwiches, and soups.
Food presentation, or plating, is an integral aspect of the dining experience. While adults will often prefer to have three food components and three different food colors on their plates, children are known to prefer seven different food components and six different food colors.
A popular activity for many adults, Millennials in particular, is to snap photos of their meals when they go out to eat. In many cases, they’ll also engage in additional staging to enhance these photos. Given the popularity of social media sites, such as Flikr’s “I Ate This,” it’s not unusual to find hundreds, if not thousands, of enticing meals, complete with microgreens.
Even though microgreens have been available for 20 to 30 years, they are becoming more well-known. While some people may enjoy dishes with microgreens when they dine out, others purchase them at specialty stores to prepare meals at home. Many traditional grocery stores are also beginning to carry microgreens in their specialty produce section.