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THERE are advantages to food trends. They expand our minds, tease our tastebuds and help us restock our pantries and cookbook shelf in the kitchen corner. At least, the good ones. The other ones must be stopped immediately. Desist. Now. Here’s our verdict on nine food trends of 2024.
Artisanal Chocolate
Until a decade ago, we all included chocolates in our lists of gifts required from relatives (coming) from abroad. But no longer, Indian chocolate brands have tickled our tastebuds with their excellence and experimentation with flavour profiles. They have sweetened our chocolates with coconut sugar, jaggery and dates. Now, our home-grown chocolates taste of Sanikatta salt, mango lassi, jackfruit, bhut jolokia, chai biscuit, raspberries, rose, curry leaf, and so much more.
Our verdict: I’ll have all of the chocolate bars, thank you very much.
Street Food
What did street food do to anyone? There have been so many gross violations even this year: truffle oil and wasabi pani puri, croissant dosas, avocado sev puri, and more. Who among us will bell this cat?
Our verdict: In the words of American Idol judge Randy Jackson, “That's gonna be a no for me dawg”.
Flavoured Butters
Chef Thomas Straker went viral with his All Things Butter posts on Instagram. He has mixed everything from cacio e pepe, matcha, vanilla & raspberry, saffron, tikka masala and anything else you can imagine with butter. And well, he’s made butter better.
Our verdict: Two thumbs up!
Ghee
Every Indian grandmother and her mother have been vindicated by this trend blowing up. They were right all along. They’ve always known it’s great for everything. Everyone has resolutely learned to bake with it, so it’s crossing over between sweet and savoury quite nicely. And this year, it was even the fat used to wash the liquor for our crafted cocktails.
Our verdict: As one would sheepishly say to the rice man at an Andhra meals eatery, “Innu konjum neyyi thisukurandi?” or “Just a little bit more ghee, please?”
Korean Food
Kimchi isn’t just a funky delight anymore, it’s a superfood. Our collective obsession with K-dramas and K-pop, a turn towards appreciating less-Western influences in our lives, and an unending quest for the medicinal benefits of our meals have been the winds beneath the wings of this trend. More likely, it’s all the bright, beautiful bowls of banchan – side dishes – that make Korean food such a tasty make-your-own-adventure. We don’t always appreciate the onslaught of pop culture but remain thrilled for the cuisine.
Our verdict: Annyeong haseyo and please never leave!
Grazing Table
This concept of a spread of hot and cold dishes to be enjoyed by guests at their own pace isn’t new. Pushing the possibilities, bringing together diverse cuisines or a hyper-focus on a single ingredient has been this year’s twist to this timeless tradition. There are vegan-forward, gluten-free grazing tables but also decadent ones that just are ramekins of divine dips and flavoured butter with baskets of crackers and sliced sourdough. Being fussy or functional in terms of decoration is an individual’s choice.
Our verdict: It’s a yes.
Making everything from scratch
Social media influencer Nara Smith has been the lodestar for this trend. She’s dressed immaculately in haute couture, her kitchen is pristine and she makes her own cereal, potato chips, pasta and even her own Oreo-style cookies. There’s nothing she won’t do from beginning to end. We understand it’s fighting back the proliferation of UPFs (ultra-processed foods) in our markets but maybe this is a bit too far out. Also, who’s got the time?
Our verdict: “That's gonna be a no for me dawg”.
No-recipe approach
One of the biggest trends of this year: The Gen Z has decided to go down the ‘no-recipe approach’ to making dishes. While cooking (more than baking) does allow for a more experimental flair, it might be best to start deviating from the traditional recipes once you’ve made it a few times. Apparently, the cautious approach betrays one’s age. Sigh.
Our verdict: This is a maybe.
Plant-based foods
While for the longest time, it was avocado-this and quinoa-that, the latest explorations of plant-based foods have been quite eye-opening. Jackfruit substituting meat in biryanis, burgers and tacos; mushrooms are having their golden age; legumes are in their renaissance era and the indigenous, local leafy greens are on their comeback tour. Even as a non-vegetarian, I’m thrilled for these options – because it’s no longer simply a food philosophy, now, it’s a pleasure eating it too.
Our verdict: Don’t call it mockmeat. And we can put down the daggers. It’s a truce.
