SEOUL FOOD
Chefs are having a love affair with the flavours of South Korea that ’ s likely to reach its peak in 2022 . This versatile cuisine will have palates popping this year , packed with loud , pungent , spicy , briny , and sweet flavours . Expect to see lots of Koreanstyle fried chicken ( twice-fried for extra crunch ), sweet-savoury fermented gochujang paste , piles of funky kimchi , and ribs slathered in stretchy , melty cheese all over menus ( and Instagram ). The cuisine also lends well to fusion food — bulgogi pizza , anyone ?
CONDIMENT CRAZE
Home cooks are experimenting ever more with flavours from around the globe , and condiments have proved a tasty shortcut to authentic tastes as well as an ideal way to spruce up favourite dishes . A parade of trending sauces , pickles , toppings and spice pastes has run through menus , social media feeds and home pantries : tahini swirled onto grain bowls and into brownies , calabrian chile paste spooned into pasta sauce , and everything bagel seasoning on … well , everything . Expect the condiment love to continue . We ’ ll be haunting the aisles of our favourite specialty food stores to find the next big thing .
BRUNCH ALL DAY
Breakfast is having a moment . Maybe it ’ s the workfrom-home life blurring the lines between pyjamas and office attire ; whatever the reason , a quarter of Americans reported eating more breakfast food during the pandemic , with 79 % eating breaky at lunch or dinner time , as per a Winsight Grocery Business survey . Restaurants are taking notice . The popularity of all-day cafes continues to rise , while trendy brunch spots are hopping well into the p . m . With the boundaries of brunch broken , those eager for their fancy coddled eggs , pillowy pancakes and mimosas can indulge anytime . ( pictured right : Brussels waffle , Clementine )
HIGH / LOW
Increasing interest in home cooking and premium ingredients combined with ever-rising prices on food staples have encouraged a “ save and splurge ” mentality for consumers . Home cooks ( and chefs , too ) are leaning on humble ingredients , augmented by the rare special purchase . Cutting back on meat and dairy day-to-day , for instance , but choosing to seek out a high quality cut or premium aged cheese from local producers , has benefits for our budgets , the environment , and our taste buds , too .
PLANT-BASED GOES MAINSTREAM
It ’ s good for the planet , good for you , and now it ’ s tasty , too . As plant based alternatives to meat and dairy become more widely available — and , backed by science , often much closer to the real thing — the average diner is more interested in reducing their meat consumption . 2022 is poised to see the further rise of “ reducetarianism ,” with many people consciously opting for more veg-centric meals and cutting out animal products where they can . The ubiquitous popularity of products like oat milk and Beyond Meat substitutes suggests that we ’ re heading into a plant-powered future , where a hybrid diet might just be the norm . ( pictured left : broccoli salad , Roughage Eatery )
ciao ! / mar / apr / two thousand twenty-two 7