We all love to be in-the-know when it comes to the sort of food trends that blow up our feeds. Case in point: the excitement around Yelp's just-released 2026 food and drink trend forecast, which reveals the dishes and ingredients that we're likely going to see a lot more of in the coming year.
From matcha to Mexican panaderias, Yelp has a finger on the pulse of food trends, and one ingredient stands out as a hot commodity fin 2026: black sesame. Beloved across Asian cuisines, black sesame is breaking out nationwide and showing up in drinks, pastries and desserts.
Yelp identified the upcoming trends by sifting through millions of searches and reviews on the platform. According to the data, searches for black sesame matcha alone jumped 147 between 2023 and 2025. Black sesame lattes and black sesame coffee are both up 23 percent, and black sesame desserts climbed 21 percent. If you've already tried one of these unique treats, you probably understand why.
The appeal is simple. Black sesame gives depth to whatever it touches with a rich nuttiness and slight bitterness, not to mention its striking good looks. Just ask the crowds lining up at Bibble & Sip in NYC for black sesame almond croissants, bolo buns, cream puffs and lattes. Breads Bakery unveiled a black sesame and date hamantaschen this year, and Buba Bureka debuted a kimchi melt bureka featuring black sesame tahini. Yang's Kitchen in Los Angeles tops soft serve with black sesame butter. New York and L.A. are on it, but expect to see more black sesame in cities across the U.S. as well.
Matcha will likely continue its rise, albeit in a more playful direction. Searches for Matchatinis were up 1,036 percent between 2023 and 2025, while banana pudding matcha lattes exploded by 36,900 percent. Its green hue lends itself to colorful, creative concoctions and, paired with black sesame, the contrast of earthy green and charcoal gray is practically made for the spotlight. Diners are definitely taking notice.
Regional Indian cuisine is having a moment, too. Yelp searches for Indian tiffin service increased by 153 percent and "Indian food buffet near me" soared 459 percent as diners look for variety and comfort in one place. All you can eat dining in general is another category making a comeback, powered by the social aspect of Korean barbecue and hot pot. Searches for these interactive meals rose by 591 percent, part of a larger 252 percent jump in buffet interest across the board.
According to Yelp's forecast, 2026 is going to be all about flavor, color and comfort. Find the full trend forecast here.