top trends
2022
Over the last 25 years , Ciao ! has seen a lot of food trends come and go ( and grow !). Our surefire prediction for next year ? We ’ ll be eating better than ever . Raise a glass to 10 hot trends we see taking over the city in 2022 .
FUNKY FUNGI
The New York Times declared the mushroom the ingredient of the year — and why not ? This versatile veggie can be crisped , steamed , fried , or braised to luxurious silkiness . Hearty varieties like king oysters and hen of the woods make excellent meat substitutes for plant-eaters , and delicate chanterelles and morels — both of which grow in Manitoba — elevate comfort dishes . Some adaptogenic varieties are appearing as health supplements ( à la LA smoothie bar Moon Juice ), even coffee substitutes . Some studies even suggest applications of psylocibin mushrooms to aid mental health — far out .
FEELIN ’ HOT HOT HOT
The last few years have shown us spice is nice , as hot sauces from around the world clamour for their place at the top of the trend pile : sriracha , sambal , chile crisp and more . A love for all things hot and spicy is expected to continue in 2022 ; Middle Eastern spice paste harissa and Turkish zhoug are dominating menus in Toronto , and all over the country artisanal hot sauce producers like Chuck Hughes ( Montreal ), Heartbeat Hot Sauce Co . ( Thunder Bay ) and Tasty Heat ’ s ( Winnipeg ) are playing with a wider variety of peppers than ever before , accentuating floral and sweet notes to bring new dimension to our favourite fiery condiment .
NON-TIPSY TIPPLES
In the space of a few short years , hopheads have gone from treating the phrase “ non-alcoholic beer ” as a four-letter word to giving buzz-less brews a second chance . Craft breweries got in on the game , creating bevvies that capture flavour without the consequences the next morning . Some , like Wellington Brewery ’ s Cascade Sparkling Hop Water , go beyond a beer taste-alike , capitalizing on the bright , complex flavours of hops for a soft drink that packs a punch . U . K . -based Seedlip launched the first non-alcoholic spirits in 2015 , and since then craft alcohol-free cocktails have sprung up on bar menus , making for totally un-mockable mocktails .
GROWING LOCAL ROOTS
Buying local continues to be a trend among consumers , ever more so as locavores banded together to champion their favourite community businesses and food suppliers during pandemic lockdowns . Since Ciao ! has been encouraging local eating for 25 years , we are thrilled to report that it ’ s easier than ever to find ingredients pulled fresh from Manitoba ’ s lakes , cultivated on our prairies , and foraged from our forests on home cooks ’ and restaurant tables alike .
DINNER TABLE TOUR
Many would-be travellers watched their vacation plans evaporate in 2020 and 2021 , and all that wanderlust had to go somewhere . Luckily , most realized what chowhounds have always known : the easiest way to travel is with your tastebuds . Search trends belie the popularity of DIY culinary projects like homemade pizza and pasta , Persian tahdig , ramen and tacos . Meanwhile , the products and experiences like virtual wine tastings and subscription boxes for foodies that helped us expand our horizons in 2021 will stick around in our new hybrid virtual world — even after you finally redeem that flight credit !
6 ciao ! / mar / apr / two thousand twenty-two