Indian society has always placed a high value on food, and each region of the country has its own distinctive cuisine that is closely tied to its customs, way of life, faiths, weather, and agricultural conditions. But as we can see, each generation brings about socioeconomic and cultural changes, and these changes are now reflected in their general behaviour, including eating habits. This results in changes to the shape, scale, and structure of the food sector. Continuous advancements in the food supply chain, which includes product creation, production, processing, distribution, and marketing, further promote this growth.
Veganism
Nut butters, plate-based meats, almond, cashew, and coconut milk, among other vegan products, are gradually taking centre stage on store shelves, in kitchens of restaurants, and in the pantries of many homes. The main factor influencing people's change in eating habits is awareness of veganism as a discipline. To ensure that no one living a particular lifestyle feels left out, vegan chocolate and almond or coconut milk are being used to manufacture vegan sweets and ice cream.
Gluten Free Diet
For the manufacturing of a variety of baked goods, including gluten-free pasta, breads, and cookies for those with gluten intolerance, flours made with peas, lentils, rice, lotus seeds, potato starch, wheat starch, almond flour, and quinoa are now frequently utilised. Due to a variety of factors, the number of people with gluten allergies is growing every day, and many restaurants have begun to accommodate their customers' needs and preferences.
A-list restaurants have begun to provide gluten-free options like gluten-free pizza, gluten-free spaghetti, and gluten-free desserts. Indian breads prepared with gluten-free flour are becoming increasingly popular, even in restaurants offering traditional Indian food.
Artisinal Bread
Indians are travelling more than ever, and as a result, the demand for artisanal breads like sourdough, ciabatta, baguette, bagel, croissants, etc. has increased significantly in metropolitan areas and Tier 1 cities. The future of food in India will undoubtedly include flours like double zero flour, T45, T65, sour dough culture premix, ciabatta premix, moisture control butter sheets for croissants and Danish pastries, among other things.
In the past, bakeries and star hotels produced all varieties of bread using normal Indian all-purpose flour. Obtaining the exact flavour of a French boulangerie is no longer a difficult undertaking with the easy availability of these cutting-edge ingredients.
Zero Artificial Ingredients
Because of its high salt level, MSG, also known as mono sodium glutamate, is no longer used as a flavour enhancer in food in many nations. As a replacement for MSG, many food companies have now developed a variety of seasonings, including vegan demi glace powders, lime seasoning, Italian seasoning, and cheese seasoning. These ingredients not only improve the taste and flavour of food, but they also add the umami flavour that MSG is famous for. In today's kitchens, refined sugars are increasingly being replaced by stevia, erythritol, malitol, or substances like coconut sugar, coconut jaggery, and date palm jaggery.
Local Grains
People today have switched traditional grains like wheat and white rice since sustainability is a hot topic. To make meals like risotto, nachni papdi chaat, quinoa bhel, and the list goes on, restaurants are now using imported grains like quinoa in addition to native grains like jowar, nachni, and jau as well as kinds of millets and other indigenous grains like jowar and nachni. Every chef nowadays strives to come up with something novel using these locally sourced ingredients, whether they are whole grains or milled, to give their meals a depth of flavour and to add value to their menus.
Sauces and Marinades
Every cuisine has its own selection of fried or baked appetisers and sauces for a main dish that are either poured over or combined with protein and vegetables. Today, we have a variety of ingredients at our disposal to quickly prepare anything we desire, from Chinese main dishes to Indian curries, American BBQ to French haute cuisine sauces.
Flavoured Oils
Naturally flavoured oils have long been used in the food service sector, but they are now also accessible for use at home. The flavor-enhancing oils will add the flavour note that is absent from home cooking but is present in restaurant cuisine or packaged food items. In order to alter the way we prepare food in India, a variety of oils are now frequently used. These include smoke oil, Bhut Jholokia Chilli oil, Thandai oil, Cardamom or Saffron oil, and even a Biryani oil.