North America’s chefs, including those of the celebrity rank who appear on food networks and cooking segments, tend to set the nation’s food trends, including fresh produce.

Remember when kale took off, and in one year the retail and foodservice demand for the item skyrocketed? We can hardly remember a produce department without papaya, packaged salad mixes or value-added microwavable specialty produce — all trends that seem here to stay.

Hot new trends are always on the horizon, and savvy retailers and foodservice operators alike are on their trail when word gets out. Consequently, growers, importers, distributors and wholesalers must be on their toes to meet the demand.

It’s not just produce items that are trending. Consumers are also seeking out products that are grown in sustainable ways with no or reduced chemicals, and that offer high nutrition and ease in use.

Gourmet Marketing, a New York City-based marketing firm, takes claim to giving restaurants, bars and hotels the power to succeed online. In December 2014, it published the top 15 restaurant trends for 2015 and beyond.

The report states 2015 will be a continuation for the restaurant industry of the prior few years but at a faster pace as the economy picks up. Top restaurant trends for the year include healthier kids meals, locally sourced foods and greater commitments to reducing kitchen waste.

In its mix of trends, the report states that local sourcing and in-house processing continue to gain ground in the battle for diner’s hearts and minds. Environmental sustainability promises to be the top trend of 2015, but this benefit is just one of the advantages of using local farms and suppliers.

Transparency, local pride and accountability also matter to diners, so local sourcing easily becomes the top trend for forward-thinking restaurateurs to adopt. Many restaurants will carry the trend further by growing restaurant gardens, making their own preserved foods and brewing specialty beverages in-house.

Social responsibility and accountability is number two on Gourmet Marketing’s trend list. Restaurants, they claim, have become major arbiters in their customers’ lives by interacting on social media forums, staging events and popular publicity stunts and encouraging support for charitable causes and political change.

Diners care about where their food comes from, how it’s grown, how suppliers treat their employees and whether animals are raised ethically or caught responsibly.

Social media networking not only provides forums for posting information but also holds restaurants more accountable for their practices and encourages diners to share their experiences.

Number four on the trend list is Asian foods and ethnic cuisines, which is expected to become increasingly popular this year. Expect more fusions of local ingredients and Asian and ethnic cooking techniques. Popular Chinese, Thai and Japanese foods will lose ground to smaller Asian cuisines, like Korean and Vietnamese.

Peasant dishes, ethnic street foods and foods from the former Soviet Union’s Asian satellite countries will become trendy. Look for more emphasis on umami, the fifth taste, and balanced foods that combine salty, sweet, sour and bitter flavors in creative ways. Diners are abandoning sweet foods for dark and bitter tastes that are found in dark chocolate, bitter coffee and leafy greens.

HGTV, an American basic cable and satellite television channel owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, broadcasts a variety of how-to shows with a focus on home improvement, gardening, craft and remodeling. HGTVGardens blogger Danny Bonvissuto published 2015 Edible Trends: The Next Hot Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs. 

She garnered comments from chefs across the country to discuss the hottest ingredients coming out of the ground and onto the plate in 2015.

They include Persian and Pakistan mulberries, which Victor Scargle, executive chef of Lucy Restaurant & Bar at Bardessono in Yountville, CA, said, “are always an incredible option.” He uses the under-the-radar berries in various applications, including a tasty shake with freshly picked mint.

There are several items on Bonvissuto’s list that are so old that trending fame will make them new again. Think rhubarb, beet greens, kohlrabi, all squashes, apples, parsley and collard greens.

Of the less common on her list is epazote. "I think fresh epazote will be a trendy herb to use in 2015,” said Michael Armstrong, executive chef of Bodega Negra in New York City. “With the increasing popularity of modern Mexican cuisine, I expect to see more uses of epazote in cooking.”

Thai basil, while not as rare, is also expected on the trend list going forward. Known for its licorice-like flavor, Thai basil could be the “it” herb this year. At TAO Asian Bistro in Las Vegas, chef/partner Ralph Scamardella uses it with red curry on his diver sea scallops.

Don’t expect the kale trend to drop off the side of the earth overnight. These trends sprout fast and strong, but once consumers welcome them into their diets, they are likely to stay around for a long, long time.