Farewell, 2022 – a year when cinnamon rolls were upgraded, charcuterie boards stole the spotlight, and microgreens continued to reign supreme. But a new year is upon us, bringing with it a whole host of culinary trends that are set to dominate the food and beverage landscape. Here are our favourites at a glance.
Swice Makes Nice
If the likes of mango salsa, Thai chilli sauce, and Mexican hot chocolate sound appealing, 2023 will be a good one for your taste buds as ‘swicy’ – sweet and spicy – food will take over. Incidentally, we can thank the birthplace of BTS for this one. South Korean cuisine is often swicy, most notably pairing spicy fried chicken with strawberry jam.
Pasta x Plants
As we continue to look for ways to increase our intake of vegetables, plant-based pasta will be on the rise in the year ahead. Now, we’re all aware of zucchini noodles and chickpea pasta, so plant-based pasta is hardly the new kid on the block. Food experts, however, predict that new alternatives made using hearts of palm and spaghetti squash will soon make an appearance.
Time for Tinned
Canned tuna may be a staple in most homes, but 2023 will remind us that the tinned fish aisle boasts so much more – think: sardines, anchovies, and mackerel, which can be used in a myriad of dishes such as pâtés, tartines, frittatas, fried rice, and more. Unsure of where to start? Follow San Francisco-based chef Ali Hooke on TikTok for inspiration.
The Date Update
The Middle East has celebrated the merits of dates for millennia, and it seems that the rest of the world will catch on come 2023. Food experts say this fruit will soon trend as an alternative natural sweetener, showing up on supermarket shelves worldwide in the form of date syrup, date paste, and dehydrated dates. Elsewhere, more people will consume the date as it is, tossing them into smoothies and salads.
The Colour Purple
Between its Instagrammable hue and uniquely delicious taste, ube – a purple yam native to the Philippines – will be one of 2023’s most popular ingredients. Sweeter and more mellow in flavour than its orange counterpart, it is most commonly used to make ube halaya (ube jam), which is then used in Filipino desserts such as ensaymada and halo-halo.
Citrus 2.0
Beer, mocktails, sparkling water, ice cream, and even vinaigrettes – yuzu, a zesty fruit found in China and Japan, is slowly dominating food stores and restaurant menus. Tangy and versatile, it boasts endless culinary appeal. Not only does yuzu taste like a combination of lemon, orange, and grapefruit, but it also has a highly unique and powerful scent.
Spread the Word
Butter boards crept into our lives towards the end of 2022, courtesy of TikTok – and will only continue to rise in popularity. For the uninitiated, a butter board features a flat spread of softened butter accented with various toppings (think: nuts, seeds, herbs, olives, cheese, and peppers) over the entirety of a board, ready for your guests to swipe their bread across.
