Our culinary team is always on the lookout for the next best thing in food. Here are the full-flavored trends we’re seeing sprout up in kitchens around the country.

• The Incredible, Trend-able, Egg

  
  
  

  What came first: the chef or the egg? The egg of course! The egg has been around since long before Marie-Antoine Carême was even a twinkle in someone’s eye. Recently though, this classic ingredient is somehow new again. From restaurant menus to social media (eggs are very “Instagrammable” in case you didn’t know), the popularity of the egg is evident globally. Why? People are opening their eyes to this former underdog in the kitchen, bringing to light its true appeal as a versatile ingredient. The eggs’ wide range of functionality is a big part of the attraction. From its use as an alternate source of protein to its limitless preparation styles, eggs really are all they’re cracked up to be. So, the next time you’re served an egg atop a burger, dropped in ramen or blended with tomato and spices in that new shakshuka dish you haven’t tried yet, remember to pay homage to this undisputed king of the kitchen.

  
  

  Try these spicy and sp-egg-tacular Habanero Bacon Deviled Eggs. View Recipe

• Condiments: From Condemned to Commended

  
  
  

  We’re experiencing a bit of a condiment craze. The traditional method of buying numerous shelf-stable sauces and spreads to overstock the inside of your refrigerator door is no more. Enter the new and improved, reformed and revitalized ‘house-made’ condiment. Homemade sauces and spreads are healthier, more creative, more flavorful and simply offer greater variety. We’re seeing condiments span regional and global flavors, in both salty and sweet combinations. The macrotrend of health & wellness is also boosting the popularity of house-made condiments due to the demand for organic, gluten free, non-GMO and overall ingredient transparency. Knowing where from and how far food has traveled is important to today’s conscious consumer.

  
  

  Take a dip with this Smoky Fry Sauce. View Recipe

• Butter is Better, Better is Butter

  
  
  

  It’s hard to say how margarine ever became so popular when we’ve always had the option of real butter. Presumably, it had something to do with margarine being positioned as the “healthier” choice. It was lower in calories and lower in fat, while proving a similar flavor and functionality – so they said. Apparently, they were wrong, and that mindset has finally melted away as recent studies suggest that butter has always been the “better for you” option. Once touted as the enemy of dieting, butter is now much more acceptable than it once. The rise in popularity could be attributed to the fact that real butter is a natural ingredient and incredibly versatile. Brown it, turn it into ghee or drop it in your morning coffee. It doesn’t matter how you slice it, as long as you stick with the real stuff.

  
  

  Bring on the better butter with this Lime Compound Butter. View Recipe