Source: Cook Pad Food Trend Forecast 2025
What is CookPad?
Cookpad Co., Ltd. has announced “Food Trend Predictions 2025” based on data from Japan’s largest recipe service, “Cookpad.” The data includes search keywords, access trends, monthly page views of approximately 40 million, and approximately 9 million followers on official social media accounts such as “Cookpad News.” These awards and predictions aim to highlight the culinary and ingredient trends that symbolize 2025 and provide insights into what food trends may emerge in 2025.
Food trend forecasts are independently selected by COOKPAD based on search and access data from Japan’s largest recipe service COOKPAD, the news media COOKPAD News, SNS, topics discussed in various media and trends that experts are focusing on.
Summary of Trend Forecast 2025
According to Cookpad, the cooking mindset is undergoing a shift as we move toward 2025. By analyzing 1,000 trending search keywords from this year, a clear trend has emerged: a “new home cooking style” that views cooking as a positive activity, offering both health benefits and opportunities for communication, rather than seeing it as a burdensome task.
Post-pandemic, with more people returning to offices and the rise of dual-income households, a new lifestyle is taking shape. On weekdays, families prioritize simple and efficient cooking to save time, while on weekends, they engage in bulk shopping and cooking, using food as a way to connect with loved ones.
This trend reflects a blend of modern needs and Japan’s traditional food culture, such as incorporating vegetables and fish in a healthy, practical manner. Meanwhile, activities like taco parties and “chestnut cooking” are gaining popularity, offering opportunities for families and friends to bond over shared culinary experiences.
In 2025, cooking trends are expected to continue focusing on health-conscious practices and fostering communication, building on the foundations laid in 2024.
Tortilla
Rising Popularity of Mexican Cuisine: Tortillas
The popularity of tortillas, a staple of Mexican cuisine, is soaring. Search frequency for “tortillas” increased by 105.9% in 2023 and another 113.7% this year. Related keywords are also on the rise:
- Tacos: 114.0%
- Burritos: 145.8%
- Guacamole: 118.0%
- Salsa: 115.9%
Reasons for Popularity
- The versatility of tortillas: they can be wrapped, stuffed, or folded.
- Recipes on platforms like Cookpad showcase creative uses:
- Pizza-style (topped with tomato sauce, mayonnaise, and ingredients, then baked)
- Crepe-style (filled with whipped cream and fruits)
Current Trends
Healthier alternatives: Recipes using rice flour, whole wheat flour, or okara powder are gaining
Taco parties: Enjoyed with family and friends, similar to hand-rolled sushi.
Increased availability of store-bought tortillas.
A rise in homemade tortillas: Search frequency for “corn flour” is increasing.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Frozen Mackerel
Frozen Mackerel Driving the Seafood Boom
Post-pandemic, the consumer demand for healthy and delicious meals is fueling the seafood boom.Despite the mackerel shortage in 2024, search frequency for “frozen mackerel” increased by 256.9% year-over-year.
Affordable, stable in supply, and long shelf life make it ideal for busy households.
Bone-free options and improved flavor preservation technology have turned frozen mackerel fillets into a freezer staple.
Reasons for Popularity
- Affordable and stable in supply, making it accessible to a wide range of consumers.
- Long shelf life and quick thawing, perfect for busy households.
- Bone-free products available, reducing preparation time.
- Improved flavor preservation due to advancements in freezing technology.
Current Trends
- Frozen mackerel fillets are becoming a freezer staple, often sold in large packs at supermarkets.
- Increased search frequency for other seafood:
- Tuna: 121.6%
- Horse mackerel: 110.1%
- Whitebait: 120.8%
- Shishamo: 110.6%
- Boiled scallops: 148.5%
- Clams: 115.9%
- Growing consumer demand for healthy and delicious meals post-pandemic, driving the seafood boom.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
JIBUN Ice ‘Personalized Ice Cream’
“Jibun Ice” – Cute, Healthy, and Delicious!
Reasons for Popularity
- Rising trend of homemade ice cream recipes on Cookpad, reflecting personal creativity.
- In 2024, with an exceptionally hot summer, search frequency for “ice cream” increased by 134.8% year-over-year.
- Longer, hotter summers due to climate change have created a demand for customizable and healthier ice cream options.
Current Trends
- Cookpad coined the term “Jibun Ice”, meaning “personalized ice cream”, to describe homemade ice cream tailored to individual tastes and preferences.
- Popular variations include:
- Using tofu or soy milk for a healthier option.
- Topping Greek yogurt with fruits and cookies for a colorful twist.
- Reducing sugar and fat for diet-friendly versions.
- Creating visually appealing designs for social media sharing.
- “Jibun Ice” is expected to continue evolving with new, original ideas.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Osaka Negiyaki
Osaka Negiyaki – A Classic Local Dish from the Expo Host City
Reasons for Popularity
- With the World Expo scheduled in Osaka next spring and summer, attention is turning to Osaka’s rich food culture.
- Osaka Negiyaki, a thin pancake made with green onions instead of cabbage, is gaining popularity, especially in the Kanto region.
Current Trends
On Cookpad, searching for “Negiyaki” may also yield recipes for grilled leeks, as some regions use the term differently.
Typically served with soy sauce and lemon, making it a refreshing dish perfect for summer stamina boosts.
Common toppings include sujikon (beef tendon and konnyaku), a signature Kansai ingredient.
Increasingly appearing on the menus of okonomiyaki restaurants in the Tokyo area.
Eating method: Cut into a grid (“井” shape) using a spatula. Cutting it like a pizza may earn you the classic Osaka retort: “It’s not a pizza!”
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Lamb
Lamb – The Popular and Healthy “Fourth Meat”
Reasons for Popularity
- Lamb gained attention in 2024 when two famous Genghis Khan lamb BBQ restaurants from Hokkaido opened in Tokyo.
- In addition to Genghis Khan, specialty restaurants serving lamb shabu-shabu and skewers are also increasing.
- Lamb is praised not only for its flavor but also for its nutritional and health benefits.
Current Trends
With growing international influences and more retailers stocking lamb, its popularity is expected to continue increasing.
Lamb has secured its position as the “fourth meat” after beef, pork, and chicken, becoming more common in supermarkets.
The variety of cuts has expanded, including not just lamb chops and blocks but also thin slices.
Search frequency on Cookpad has risen by 113.5% year-over-year.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Japanese Herbs
Japanese Herbs – Traditional Flavors Gaining Popularity
Reasons for Popularity
- Search frequencies for traditional Japanese herbs are on the rise:
- Seri (Japanese parsley): 106.5%
- Shiso (perilla leaf): 124.7%
- Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley): 107.4%
- Myoga (Japanese ginger): 116.3%
- Their appeal lies in their ability to enhance dishes with vibrant colors and aromatic flavors, making cooking more enjoyable.
- Ideal for hot summers as they require minimal cooking and pair well with noodles as garnishes.
Current Trends
- Growing demand for herbs in salads and traditional dishes like ohitashi (boiled greens).
- Regional popularity:
- Seri: A key ingredient in hot pots in Akita and Miyagi, with search rates nearly doubling over the past decade.
- Shiso: Used in miso-based regional dishes, a specialty in Miyagi.
- Mitsuba and Shiso: Aichi is one of the top producers.
- Myoga: Predominantly sourced from Kochi.
- As demand for these herbs grows, their culinary versatility and regional significance continue to attract attention.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Kuri shigoto ( work of Chestnuts)
“Kuri Shigoto” – The New Autumn Tradition
Reasons for Popularity
- Search frequency for “kuri” (chestnuts) increased by 105.2% year-over-year.
- Related keywords like “how to peel chestnuts” (492.7%) and “how to boil chestnuts” (219.1%) also saw significant growth.
- Following the rise of “Ume Shigoto” (home-made plum syrup and pickles) during the pandemic, “Kuri Shigoto” has become a popular autumn activity.
- People across generations are enjoying the experience and taste of homemade chestnut dishes as a seasonal pleasure.
Current Trends
As the appeal of enjoying chestnuts in autumn continues to grow, more people are expected to embrace Kuri Shigoto in the coming years.
Mont Blanc competitions: Seven major chestnut-producing regions in Japan, including Kasama (Ibaraki), Obuse (Nagano), and Ena (Gifu), collaborated to host events that crown the best Mont Blanc desserts. These regional partnerships aim to invigorate the chestnut industry.
Convenient tools: New gadgets like chestnut peelers are helping reduce the effort of dealing with hard shells, making chestnut cooking easier.
Picture is from https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/
Source: https://static.cookpad.com/campaign/foodtrend/forecast/