Xavier Agulló, world renowned Spanish opinion leader, critical gastronome, and journalist has taken time out of his busy schedule to compile his thoughts on the hottest new food & drink trends. With a focus on emerging cuisines and alternative food preparation techniques, Agulló together the Spanish Tourist Office and its SPN Magazine, has jotted down a few pointers as to what’s coming next  …

Mexico one of the hottest incoming gastronomic countries is Mexico.  Its defining dish, ceviche, is already standard in some restaurants and now it’s time for more of the delicious and vast cuisine of Mexico to provide colour on our plates with typical dishes from all their regions and states; from Puebla and Yucatan to Michoacan, Sinaloa and Chiapas. Mexican cuisine is, without a doubt, one of the tastiest on the planet. Goodbye ghastly, low-grade Tex-Mex; hello authentic Mexican. It’s no coincidence that the World’s 50 Best America list has moved from Lima, Peru to Mexico City.

Veggie. Why not? Vegetables can be a surprising font of culinary creativity. Vegetarian offerings are appearing frequently, created from a working palette of imagination and sensitivity. Earlier this year, world renowned chef, José Andrés, unveiled his new, vegetable-focused restaurant in Washington DC, USA and Xavi Pellicer’s new restaurant, Celeri, Barcelona, offers healthy dishes made with about eight seasonal vegetables.

“Finger food” and high-level informal cooking. It’s not new, but this casual way of dining is showing no signs of flagging. What’s more, fine linens and very precise table settings are no longer necessary because haute cuisine has become informal. What matters is what’s on the plate rather than how it’s presented.

Raw food. Asia (together with other continents) has a long tradition of raw food. With salsas and dishes of all shapes and sizes gracing plates the world over, raw food rocks.

Fermented food. And not just Korean kimchi… Fermented food – in the form of varied concoctions with complex flavours – is arriving by the sack-load in contemporary cuisine, thanks to an increased desire for extra healthy food.

Craft beer. This is already more than a trend. It’s ever more difficult – and I’m talking about in the world in general – to find a ‘commercial’ beer.

What do you think … is Xavier right? Would they make your top five list, let us know!