The Sterling-Rice Group tapped its Culinary Council to determine the top 10 Food trends for 2013.  And while some sound very exciting, others strike me as rather undesirable.

On the “sounds good to me” side are sour foods and drinks influenced by the DIY pickling and brining trend (e.g., sauerkrauts, pickles and sour cherry beer). The spicy and fresh flavors of Thailand, Korea and Vietnam are also expected to grow in popularity, witnessed by the success of restaurants like BellyQ (Chicago) and Whiskey Soda Lounge (Portland).

On the “are we really going there” side are less tempting food trends, like cauliflower T-bone steaks.  Or if you prefer, trendy restaurants nationwide are offering smaller plates (not prices), such as Coppa’s (Boston) 4 oz. roasted cod fillet served with a fork.  That’s it. And of course gluten-free and vegan offerings continue to trend in the store aisles and at the restaurants.

As I prepare to be thankful for my annual big fat turkey dinner, these food forecasts make me wonder:  How do the creatures of the wild survive without trends?  Or maybe they follow trends and we just never noticed.  Certainly the diets of our domesticated dogs and cats have been subject to food trends.  But do elephants and wild boars mix it up from year-to-year?

To be honest, I just don’t know.  And for that, I am thankful.