1990s

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The 90s brought with it a generation of families where it wasn’t uncommon for both parents to be working outside of the home. However, even with this new family dynamic, families were starting to eat more home-cooked meals. After a decade of eating out in the 80s, Americans returned to the dinner table to spend the evening with family. This was also a golden era of fusion foods and Americanized versions of exotic eats. Here are some of the most popular dishes of the decade:

Chinese Chicken Salad: This Cal-Asian cuisine was one of the year’s most popular gourmet trend, according to a TIME magazine article recapping 1991. This dish got special attention from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck when he featured it in one of his Santa Monica restaurants.

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Starbucks: Ok, so this isn’t a “dish,” but what list of popular 90s food trends would be complete without mention of this coffee chain giant? (Especially since I’m writing this from my office in Seattle – about 7 blocks away from the original Starbucks coffee shop). The original store opened in the 70s, but the company didn’t go public till the 90s. Within 4 years, there would be over 300 stores in North America with the launch of international stores happening within months.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes: The Italians continued to have a strong foothold on America cuisine with tasty gems like sun-dried tomatoes and balsamic vinegar becoming more and more popular in the 90s. Adding in a handful of sun-dried tomatoes was (and still is) a sure-fire way to add delicious flavor to almost any dish. Get one of our favorite recipes for a creamy, sun-dried tomato chicken skillet right here!

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Molten Chocolate Cake: There is some debate on who made the first molten chocolate cake – a dessert that is famous for having a liquid chocolate center. One of the most famous origin stories comes from the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who claims to have accidentally undercooked a chocolate sponge cake at the popular New York restaurant JoJo, and ended up with a hit on his hands. No matter where it came from, by 1997, this dessert was showing up in Joy of Cooking, Food and Wine, and even a few restaurants at Disney World! You can try your hand at this decadent dessert with our recipe right here!

Crab Cakes: Now this is a different kind of cake entirely, but one that rose in popularity during the last half of this decade! Crab cakes originated in Baltimore but went nationwide in the 90s. This showed how restaurants were moving in the direction of a national menu, rather than a local menu. If you’re in the mood to make your own crab cakes, try out our favorite recipe here!

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