The Culinary Institute of America is teaching it, and the hottest chefs are putting their own spin on it. Consumers are responding and attempting to replicate the techniques at home. We’re not talking about molecular gastronomy here; we’re talking about smoking — the back-to-basics preparation that 82% of professional chefs are really excited about.
Smoking is hot—with chefs, mixologists and now consumers. In addition to the things you might expect, the pros are using both hot and cold techniques to smoke rutabagas, oysters, venison, figs, eggs, butter, chocolate, cheesecake, even whiskey and cola syrup for use in specialty cocktails. They’re smoking with alder wood, olive wood, hibiscus flowers, teas and the usual assortment of cherry, apple, hickory and mesquite woods. 
Culinary innovations have made smoking more accessible to both the professional chef and the home cook. Tools such as the “Smoking Gun,” a handheld food smoker, are becoming mainstream, as evidenced by their presence on the shelves of Williams-Sonoma and a price point under $100.
What’s old is truly new again, thanks, in part, to trendsetting chefs. Keep an eye on what they’re doing; their preferences and practices will almost certainly affect those of your consumers in some way. Check out our food trend influencer chart to see how these trends trickle down and where you can be of influence.
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