Bi-Weekly Chicory Recipe Trends: Week of 9/28/2020

As we continue through the second half of September, we explored the recipe, ingredient and food trends across Chicory’s shoppable recipe network to identify how consumer habits and behaviors are changing during this seasonal shift.

Chicken is the protein of the season, with a massive uptick in recipe views and, in line with growing comfort in using online grocery services, Americans are ordering the white meat online in record numbers. Next, while we Americana recipes, like homemade biscuits and classic apple pie, which typically surge on and around July 4th are having sustained popularity. Finally, soups and stews are hitting dinner tables. Consumers, many of whom are working or learning from home, are turning to from-scratch soup making, a continuation of the “from scratch” trend we saw early on in the pandemic.

Consumers Are Reaching for Chicken Online

Chicken is typically Chicory’s top recipe keyword, as millions of consumers consistently swarm to chicken recipes each month. However, we’ve seen a notable uptick in both views and online grocery activity for chicken recently. Over the past month, consumers have engaged with chicken recipes nearly 1.5x more than the next most popular protein, beef, and over 6x more than the next most popular keyword, soup.

Why? It’s cheap. A Chicory survey of 1,086 Americans found that 70% of consumers will be more price-sensitive when shopping for groceries this holiday season. Bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks and whole chickens are some of the cheapest cuts of meats that stretch a long way to feed families.

Also, while consumers turned to indulgent and comforting cheesy, creamy and saucy recipes earlier this year to cope with stress and anxiety, we saw a few waves of health trends appear, giving rise to this high protein, lower fat meat option. The rise in recipe traffic for chicken may indicate a period of health consciousness before holiday indulging begins.

When we explored online grocery activity for chicken--an ingredient that consumers were historically reluctant to add to their online grocery carts due to concerns about refrigeration and not being able to choose their own packs--we found that levels this year have been nearing levels seen on Thanksgiving and Christmas last year, the two most trafficked holidays in Chicory’s network. In fact, there was a mere 9% difference between online grocery activity for chicken on a random Saturday in July (7/11) compared to Christmas last year. Additionally, over the last two months, online grocery activity for chicken has increased by 30%.

Politics at the Dinner Table

Classic Americana recipes are back in the top charts in a big way. This may be a sense of patriotism via food as a pre-election effect. Recipes like chicken pot pie, apple pie, apple crisp and biscuits are all in the top ten recipes in Chicory’s network.

Homemade Broth Is In

Trending vegetables over the past two weeks include onions, carrots and celery, or the beginnings of a mirepoix, a basic flavor base to many soups and stews. Our recipe network shows a 24% increase in consumer engagement with onions, 7% increase in carrots and 11% increase in celery from this time last year. From just a month ago, we’re seeing a 25% increase in onions, 39% increase in carrots and 47% increase in celery. Across the board, more consumers are using these ingredients as a base in their meals. We’re also seeing this in conjunction with a rise in soups, stews and chilis, recipes where these three ingredients would feature heavily.

While, in past years, many Americans relied on canned or boxed soups and broths, 2020 (as we have seen throughout the year) has brought on a major wave of from- scratch cooking, from sourdough starters in the spring to homemade soups this fall.

Slow Cooking Trends

Along those lines, “set it and forget it” cooking appliances had been losing favor throughout the year, with a 96% decrease in Crock-Pot usage and 62% decrease in slow cooker usage from January 2020 to July 2020.

The fall has definitely helped these appliances recover, with Crock-Pot usage increasing by 52% and slow cooker usage increasing by 38% from July to present. Instant Pot usage has only increased by 23%. While these may not seem like dramatic differences, Instant Pot used to be the top convenient cooking appliances across Chicory’s network and arguably, across digital recipes, with entire sites and recipe books dedicated to just that one tool. All three appliances do not have nearly the popularity that they once did pre-COVID. Americans are, instead, cooking from scratch and able to watch pots on the stove with millions working out of their homes.

Overall Recipe Traffic and Online Grocery Activity

Our last look at recipe traffic showed upward momentum and that has only continued through the second half of September. Consumers are ramping up for the biggest season of cooking and baking of the year. Chicory’s consumer survey conducted this month shows that consumers are still planning on holiday celebrations this year but 71% of respondents plan on doing so in smaller groups. Additionally, some of the recipes popping up at the top of Chicory’s shoppable recipe network like Oktoberfest Pie and Green Bean Casserole indicate that consumers are practicing early for their home cooked holiday meals.

Online grocery activity has been trending upwards too. After a late summer lull, consumers are turning back to the convenient service with levels matching those seen on July 4th.

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