What to Watch For In 2006

By Lisa McLaughlin

A TASTE OF BLUE HEAVEN With their striking blue feet and mildly gamy taste, French Bresse chickens have inspired passion among connoisseurs since gastronome Brillat-Savarin wrote about the velvety-textured birds in his 19th century The Physiology of Taste. True Bresse aren't available in the U.S., but now America has its own Blue Foot chickens. Bred in California, they're being served up in restaurants like Spago Palo Alto and New York City's Alain Ducasse. They're also available at dartagnan.com

BOWLED OVER BY RICE Brown is usually about as wild as Americans get when it comes to rice, but prepare for an influx of more exotically colored grains like buttery Himalayan and Bhutanese red. There's also the Forbidden, a black varietal from China, and herby green Bamboo.

POUR IT ON Look for the "craft cocktail" at a bar near you as mixologists incorporate fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and spice infusions into their creations. Basil martini, anyone? HAMMING IT UP Until recently, developing a taste for jamon iberico, made from acorn-fed black-footed pigs, wasn't easy. The USDA's ban on the Spanish delicacy was lifted only last year. And even though the first shipments of whole hams aren't due to arrive until 2008, importer La Tienda already has a list of 200 customers who have placed $199 deposits for hams that will cost upwards of $1,000 when they are finally delivered. For those without that much cash or patience, the first chorizo and sausages made from the meat of these precious pigs will be available early this year.