Carb-lovers take note… Our Pasta, Rice, Noodles & Pulses 2026 report is now live on the hub! And it's packed with all of the big 4 C's in this category: Cost-effective, Convenient, Carb-rich and Comforting… But this year we're adding another 'C' to that list: Creativity!
Read on for three of the key takeouts from this year's report:
- Something sweet: While first thoughts might go towards savoury when it comes to these carby staples, the lean into global nostalgia and an unwavering appetite for newness is fuelling a focus on sweet formats within the category. Some, like rice pudding, trade in pure comfort but with imaginative twists to flavour and format, while others, like South Korea's 'Shanghai butter mochi' craze, is fuelled by social media fervour that has seen it flood Seoul's bakeries and begin to make ripples across global markets.
- Pasta takes flight: What could be better than one plate full of pasta? How about three, or even six of them? Pasta flights are (re)emerging in North America, showcasing a variety of shapes, sauces and toppings, delivered in smaller portions that all add up to a satiating meal without the belt-busting carb coma. Tailored to suit one indecisive diner or to be shared amongst the whole table, pasta flights are the perfect compromise that could be winging their way to a trattoria near you soon.
- The new wafu? Wafu, the Italo-Japanese cuisine crossover, has been enjoying a renaissance moment across foodservice with a spate of new openings appearing in major foodie cities. Hot on its heels, though, comes 'I-thai-lian' (okay, so we made up the name ourselves); a Thai-Italian mash-up cuisine that offers a more aromatic and spice-heavy evolution of wafu and that's really beginning to gain momentum in the UK, US and Australia. So if you like your linguine with a hit of lemongrass and lime leaf, this one's for you!
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