'Conscious indulgence’ will be the flavor of this Diwali, highlights The Godrej Food Trends Report 2022

This year with the return of the festivities post-pandemic, there is a welcome return of celebration. An increase in the ceremonial festival exchange of sweets and snacks in larger numbers is anticipated. People are more receptive to both Ready-to-Eat and Ready-to-Cook options but with mindfulness of health and the environment. After two years of subduing sentiment due to the pandemic, consumers and industry are looking forward to the festive season this year.

Elaborating upon the foundations and evolving facts of culinary culture, The Godrej Foods Trends Report 2022 - Collector’s Edition highlights trends that will shape people’s choices this Diwali. The report lists trends that indicate how Diwali will be all about ‘conscious indulgence’ with people prioritizing health and going back to their regional roots.

Godrej Foods Trends Report 2022 brings together the opinions of over 200+ thought leaders, including celebrity chefs, home chefs, professional chefs, food bloggers, health professionals, media professionals, mixologists, nutritionists, restaurateurs, sommeliers, food producers, and more.

Following are some of the findings that emerged in the report indicating conscious indulgences for Diwali:

Dining Out Preferences

With all Diwali lunches and dinners, restaurant dining gains momentum and is an important part of the festivities. As people dine out, the findings below indicate the choices they are likely to make

56.3% of food experts believe diners will seek regional cuisine-based concepts, that deliver the wealth of nutrition and flavor our traditional culinary heritage holds

54.7% panel foresee diners gravitating towards farm-to-table concepts that support their growing desire to eat fresh, local, and seasonal produce and support local farmers and food producers

Snacking & Mithais for Gifting or Home Consumption

Diwali festivities are incomplete without sweets and snack indulgences made during the festival. As people buy or prepare snacks and sweets at home, this is how their choices are likely to be made.

61.7 % of experts agree that sweets with healthier claims will be preferred by consumers

50 % panel believe that demand for gourmet mithai will only grow

57.4% panel indicates that bite-sized, portion-controlled sweets will be sought more by people

55.6% of food experts see people choosing Millet based snacks, while an equal number have put their votes on non-fried snack options. This indicates a preference for health-conscious snacking options during the festive season.

Kitchen Appliances & Gadgets

With the biggest discounts and sales, Diwali is an ideal occasion to get the best of appliances and gadgets at home. This also applies to purchasing products for the kitchen.

65.1% of food experts see increasing pride & preference amongst people for traditional Indian cookware

55.6% of experts predict that people will invest in kitchen appliances that support healthy cooking

52.4% of food experts forecast time-saving convenience cooking gadgets to be in demand as well

Speaking about trends that will dominate Diwali festivities, Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal, curator & editor in chief, Godrej Food Trends Report 2022, said, “India is home to diverse cultures. Over the last two years, consumers have held back on celebrations, but also reflected on their health and the environment and are more conscious of the impact of their choices than before. The preference for homegrown, local and healthy is very evident. This Diwali, conscious choices in celebrating be it with food, gifting, sweets or household gadget buys, is the flavor. Consumers want to know their roots. There is also a strong move towards traditional options – bother with festive snacks and sweets as well as cookware. Because we recognize that there was a lot of mindfulness in the traditional practices of our heritage cuisines.”