The 2011 Worlds of Flavor® International Conference & Festival — WORLD CASUAL: The Future of American Menus — celebrated the "world casual" culinary traditions of Asia, Latin America, the Mediterranean, and beyond, and focused on the foods and flavors that American chefs and diners are enthusiastically embracing. 

A long, slow economic recovery means consumers will seek value for many years to come, even as they venture back to restaurants. At the same time, excitement about top chefs and all things culinary continues its viral spread into mainstream culture. Percolating through all of this is greater concern for our health, for the environment, for the quality of foods we produce, for stronger urban-rural connections, and for the preservation of regional identities. 

The 14th Annual Worlds of Flavor Conference explored how these mega-trends are playing out in the evolution of our menus, and in the minds of today's young, talented chefs and tomorrow's foodservice entrepreneurs.