Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) announced its anticipated dairy trends for 2024 in the cooperative's first-ever dairy trends round-up.

Here are the top five dairy trends from Tillamook's "Predict the Yum" Trends Taskforce: 

Trend #1: The Cheddar Plunge: We've all heard of the cold plunge, but the next trend in dairy will be the cheddar plunge. With shoppers relying more and more on grocery delivery, people are buying one type of cheese and serving it up in a variety of different ways. Soaking a sharp cheddar in wine, shrub, or ale completely changes the cheese experience, bringing an unexpected flavor that no one should be missing out on.

• TRY IT: Choose a favorite cheddar, like one of Tillamook's Maker's Reserve Extra Sharp White Cheddar vintages, and cold soak it in your favorite Pinot Noir for up to two to three days, and then cold dry the cheese. Slice into your cheese and experience a flavor explosion like never before.

Trend #2: Cheese, Spice and Everything Nice"Move over cheeseboard staples. Spices are where it's at when it comes to exploring new cheese pairings. Think bold, spicy flavors with a global influence to make amazing cheddar all the better. People are looking for ingredients that can transport them from the ordinary flavors of everyday to replicate an exotic flavor experience typically found abroad. According to Google Trends, these craveworthy flavors are searched for most in New York and California.

• TRY IT: Add an unexpected spice to your day with delicious, cheesy Za'atar Cheddar Scones by Doaa Elkady. These scones will be a new favorite, with their herby, nutty and striking flavor from the za'atar seasoning paired with the sharp creaminess of Tillamook Maker's Reserve 2016 Extra Sharp White Cheddar Cheese and Tillamook Extra Creamy Unsalted Butter.

Trend #3: Amaro, Amazing"Like many of us, cheese loves an amazing beverage. Enter amaro. Amaro has grown +21% in social discussions over the past year¹ and according to our experts, cheese + amaro = pairing perfection! Amaro, the name for a wide variety of herb-infused Italian liqueurs, is typically served at the end of a meal as a digestif. Since a multicourse feast is often finished with a cheese course, cheese and amaro make a natural end-of-meal combination.²

• TRY IT: With amaro's complex flavor profile of sweet, fruity, herbaceous, earthy, and medicinal, we love to pair it with Tillamook 2013 Maker's Reserve Extra Sharp White Cheddar that has rich and buttery notes of brioche.

Trend #4: Burgers, Burgers and More Burgers"According to burgerweb.com and NPR³, as of 2015, Americans consumed roughly 50 billion burgers a year in every size, shape and flavor combination imaginable. The number one topping for burgers is cheese, of course! In fact, "smash burgers" have grown 69% in social discussions over the past year!  Additionally, burgers made with unique and specialty ingredients are trending in terms of menu mentions. Diners are paying about $2.00 more for these "elevated" burgers compared to "traditional" burgers.⁴

• TRY IT: We love this Double Cheddar Bacon Cheeseburger using Tillamook Farmstyle Sharp Cheddar Slices made in collaboration with Gaby Dalkin, Chef and New York Times bestselling author behind "What's Gaby Cooking," and Dan Pelosi, cookbook author and personality behind "GrossyPelosi."

Trend #5: Air Fryers Stay Hot"Air fryers are not just blowing hot air, they have surpassed trend status and are here to stay. And, for good reason. They align with today's lifestyles: convenience, household size, energy efficiency, and versatility. With nearly 60% of U.S. households owning an air fryer⁵, consumers are looking for fun, new ways to elevate classic recipes using a favorite appliance. Hello, air fryer grilled cheese, air fryer jalapeno poppers or air fryer nachos!

• TRY IT: Air fryers are for more than French fries! Try these Air Fryer Cheesy Chorizo-Lime Nachos with Tillamook Farmstyle Thick Cut Sharp Cheddar Cheese, and you won't be disappointed.

"It was really fun to step back from our day-to-day work to think about how trends we are seeing here in the Pacific Northwest or in our industry may impact restaurants, dinner tables, and charcuterie boards nationwide," said Katie Petri, Director, Consumer & Market Insights, TCCA and member of the Tillamook  "Predict the Yum" Trends Taskforce. "A few of our 2024 trend predictions were influenced by analyzing how consumers are grocery shopping and prepping their foods, which directly impacts shopping lists, specific ingredients, and flavor choices. 2024 should be delicious!"

The TCCA experts contributing to the "Predict the Yum" trends round-up have more than 50 collective years in the food industry, from culinary development to product excellence to research and consumer insights. The Tillamook "Predict the Yum" Trends Taskforce is comprised of:

• Josh Archibald, Executive Chef of Culinary Development at TCCA
• Jill Allen, Director of Product Excellence at TCCA and an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional
• Steve Marko, Senior Director of Research & Development at TCCA
• Katie Petri, Director, Consumer & Market Insights at TCCA