Lizzy Freier

Familiar flavorings are showing up in unexpected places as restaurants experiment with different applications for plant roots.

Listings intended to indulge chefs' moods at the moment, a Japanese tradition, are appearing in a broad range of restaurants.

Restaurateurs are increasingly using sauces as a means to differentiate, customize and let customers control what they eat. There’s the added advantage of exponentially increasing what’s offered without complicating kitchen operations.

Since the surge of Sriracha, other hard-to-pronounce ingredients have been gradually popping up on menus, giving consumers both practice with tongue twisters and opportunities for exotic dining adventures. Here's a look at some striking ingredients on the rise.

Seeing growth more recently in independents is sauerkraut. Lately, it’s been gracing menus as modern kraut interpretations made with a variety of vegetables.

The North African spice is heating up.