Not Another Food Trend Article: A Taste Of 2018

Almost on a daily basis, food bloggers encounter all sorts of exciting new dishes or novel ingredients. Nonetheless, it’s hard to speculate on what “the next big food trend” will be, so we’ve simply asked them what dish blew them away recently: a dessert that knocked their socks off, a totally innovative cooking technique or a captivating spice. They explain why these foods deserve to be in the limelight, as well as which current food trend they’d like to see stay behind in 2017.

JB & Renee Macatulad of Will Fly For Food

Yes To: Peranakan Food

“Peranakan food is a blend of Malay and Chinese cuisine found in parts of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and southern Thailand. Chinese ingredients are mixed with local spices and cooking techniques to create intensely flavourful interpretations of Malay food. We’re Asian, so we’re used to lots of flavour in our food, but Peranakan cuisine is one of the most robustly flavoured we have ever tasted. Every dish is like a flavour bomb! A great place to try Peranakan food is at Candlenut Kitchen in Singapore. As far as I know, they’re the only Michelin-starred Peranakan restaurant in the world.”

Nay!: Gigantic Portions Or Exorbitantly Priced Food

“Things like burgers as tall as your torso or doughnuts flecked in gold leaf. I don’t enjoy seeing these, and they were all over social media in 2017. They’re gimmicky and wasteful in my opinion, not to mention insensitive. Basically any food that’s designed to get social media ‘likes’ should disappear in 2018. It would be great if we could focus more on good, soulful food. There’s a lot of it out there.”

[Photo: JB & Renee Macatulad]

Anthony Clark of Food Me Up Scotty

Just Can’t Get Enough Of: Pokè

“The Hawaiian dish has been slowly spreading across the globe, and is likely to be one of the biggest hits in 2018. With a move to more wholesome and healthy cuisine, the fresh fish prepared ceviche-style and served (usually) with fresh salad and/or zoodles (zucchini noodles), Pokè is the perfect alternative to fast food.”

Please, Please, Let There Be An End To: Kale! 

“Considered a superfood, kale has found its way onto just about every menu. It’s bad enough that it’s bland and boring, but I’m mystified as to why chefs insist on trying to make it interesting… kale chips? No thanks! Crispy kale salad with peanuts? What the …? I actually question whether anyone likes kale at all, and I will dance for joy when I no longer see this abomination on a menu!”

[Photo: Kirk K/Flickr]

Jessie Oleson Moore of Cakespy

Fascinating: Japanese Milk Bread Rolls

“I recently tried Japanese Milk Bread Rolls for the first time. I was intrigued by how the dough starter was actually a roux – something I had never seen before. Simultaneously fluffy and light yet with a flavour complexity which was much deeper than most fluffy dinner rolls, these are a fascinating new addition to my cooking repertoire.”

Kind Of Tired Of: Mashups

“I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, particularly because I’ve done plenty of recipes following this trend over the years. But honestly? I’m kind of tired of mashups. The reason is not because I dislike the inventiveness. I love that part. However, I feel like too much emphasis is put on the creative combination and less is put on actually making a high-quality version of the item. That is to say: I love if you’re making red velvet tortillas or donut ice cream cones. However, be sure to learn how to make the item in a classic and good way before you begin playing with the format. Or, in other curmudgeonly words, learn the rules before you break them!”

[Photo: Jessie Oleson Moore]

Billy Lam of Birry Ram

Blown Away By: Braised beef

“I recently had brunch at The Gray Olive Cafeteria in Vancouver and was blown away by their feature called The Braised Beef Benny. Braised beef is all about patience, the slow cook at the perfect temperature where the meat breaks apart and the texture is still soft. The biscuit was perfectly toasted and, paired with an amazing Hollandaise, it the most amazing brunch experience.”

Please, No More: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

“The process is slow, the ice cream melts quicker than traditional ice cream, and it’s overpriced. Bring back the cronut.”

Taylor Peplow Ball of On The Chopping Board

Simply Brilliant: Crème Brûlée Doughnut

“This is the mother of all doughnuts – with a sticky toffee coating that encases the freshly baked dough filled with a vanilla bean crème patissière. Undoubtedly one of our favourite sweet treats in Adelaide, this doughnut, and all other pastries of Johnny Pisanelli, owner of Abbots and Kinney, for that matter. Baked lemon cheesecake cruffins, croissant-style French toast with strawberry custard, or the famous Danwiches (a Danish crossed with a sandwich – yes, it’s brilliant, we know) all deserve to be in the limelight.”

Mega-Ridiculous: Freak-Shake, Mega-Milkshake, Crazy-Shake

“Call them what you like, the truth of the matter is, they are mega-ridiculous! If you are totally unfamiliar with this ludicrous food trend, we are referring to the extravagant milkshakes served in jars, topped with anything from brownies and doughnuts to whipped cream, flavoured syrups, pretzels, chocolate and candy. Why can’t milkshakes go back to the way they used to be: simple and only available in three standard flavours? Considering a majority of people can’t even bring themselves to finish the shakes, we believe the trend is very wasteful and simply encouraging excessive consumerism. Not to mention, studies have shown that it would take at least seven hours of dancing for an adult to ‘shake off’ these monstrosities!”

Anastasia Sharova of Happy Bellyfish

To Try In 2018: Jackfruit

“My personal highlight of 2017’s menu became Kathal Sabzi (jackfruit curry).The world is buzzing about canned jackfruit, as its texture resembles meat, and it’s been a commonly known food in India for centuries. It is, in fact, often referred to as the ‘meat of vegetarians’ and is prepared from unripe jackfruit, which is very difficult to cut and cook. The taste and texture differs from the canned jackfruit significantly. This particular preparation of raw jackfruit was infused with 8 spices and was one of the most flavourful, filling and satisfactory meals in my life.”

Time To Go: Smoothies

“It’s been one of the biggest health food trends in past years, and even though they look appealing in a glass and seem to be extremely healthy, it is a questionable practice from a nutritional point of view. The best way to benefit from all the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, and to digest them properly, is to enjoy them without excessive processing. In fact, consuming them in liquid form leaves us less satisfied and can cause unnecessary blood sugar spikes and then sudden falls. Fresh fruit and vegetables on their own are the best eternal food trend!”

Rosemary Kimani and Claire Rouger of Authentic Food Quest

Knocked Their Socks Off: Char Koay Teow

“Delicious does not adequately describe the flavours in this noodle dish of Penang, the food capital of Malaysia. Char Koay Teow literally means ‘stir-fried flat rice noodles strips’, and is made of flat rice noodle strips stir-fried with shrimp, cockles, eggs, bean sprouts, chives and lap cheong (Chinese dried sausage), in a mix of sauces including soy. Bursting with flavour, it’s an unforgettable mix of savoury, sweet and spicy. We loved this dish so much that we once waited over 45 minutes in line at a street vendor who cooked it best, one plate at a time, over charcoal. An experience well worth the wait!

Out With: Avocado Everything

“The avocado trend that that has captivated the US needs to go away. Allow the fruit to simply be what it is: a nutritious fruit, low in sugar, filled with good fats. From overpriced avocado toast, to avocado burgers and even all-avocado restaurants, this trend now borders on ridiculous. In South America, we were struck by the unassuming everyday use of avocados, simply part of the everyday diet, without any hype.”

[Photo: Kevin Tao/Flickr]

Mirella Kaloglou and Panos Diotis of Little Cooking Tips

Deserves A Spot In The Limelight: Legumes

“In our humble opinion, legumes – lentils, beans and chickpeas primarily – deserve more attention. We recently tried them with lots of spices, like cumin, fenugreek, garam masala or turmeric, cooked like a classic curry, over a bed of rice. The result was amazing; really delicious and filling. It definitely satisfies both vegans and meat lovers, and it’s a great source of plant-based protein. Another advantage is that they are really affordable and can easily feed a whole family at a low cost.”

We Never Liked: The Unicorn/Rainbow Thing (In Desserts And Beverages)

“First of all, most of these desserts do not taste good. Second, they are great to look at (that’s why we constantly see them on Instagram), but are full of artificial colours and we’re not sure that these are all safe. We wouldn’t serve these to kids, even if they asked for them, just like we wouldn’t add the – we all know which brand –  coloured button candy to cookies (which is another sad trend).”

Lelde Benke of Life in Riga

Will Take Off In 2018: Anything With Sea Buckthorn

“This ‘superfood’ has a lot going for it: it grows in many Nordic countries (which automatically qualifies it as trendy!), is brimming with vitamins and antioxidants, and is said to be very beneficial to overall health. The berries are versatile and can be used in juices, jams, desserts and sauces. I recently tried a raw sea buckthorn cream cake with a nut base. It was a perfect way to end my meal – not too sweet, slightly sour, very light and easy to digest. To me, it ticks all the right boxes.”

Overpriced Gimmick: Bubble Waffles

“They may look good in photos, but shouldn’t we care more about the flavour of what we eat over how good it looks on Instagram? The waffle itself is so flimsy and unsatisfying, and there’s not enough space for the toppings. They’re also awkward to eat.”

Sarah Kim of Lust ‘Till Dawn

We’ll See More: Sea Vegetables

“Although I’ve been eating sea vegetables my whole life, they’ve only been recently surging in popularity. They’re packed with vitamins, and some – like seaweed crisps – are a great healthy snack. The natural saltiness from the sea makes this food group quite tasty!”

Too Hyped: Avocado On Everything

“Sorry, I love avocados and enjoy making pasta sauce with it, as well as putting it on my sandwiches, but there’s just too much hype around them. For example, there’s an avocado restaurant in Amsterdam that puts avocados on everything. My friends have been and said the restaurant isn’t even that good or creative. It’s just that literally every menu item has avocado on it.”

Kathrin Deter of Luminoucity

Can’t Stop Thinking About: Halloumi Fries

“I had these fries, served with pomegranate and a coriander-mint sauce, at Restaurant Yes Yes Yes in Helsinki. The combination of flavours was just something else all the way, so this dish really stuck with me. Crispy and hot, with the fresh, smooth sauce and the slight sourness of the pomegranate – I could eat this all day!”

We Could Do Without: Sushi Burritos, Sushi Bowls Or Sushi Burgers

“In the last year or two, the different variations have been invading the cities. I’ve tried them all, but I came to the conclusion: leave sushi as it was meant to be, in little delicious rolls. It’s amazing as is and really does not need to be revamped into something seemingly modern and fancy.”

[Photo: Yes Yes Yes Helsinki]

Daryl & Mindi Hirsch of 2foodtrippers

Hope To See More Of: Lángos

“This simple Hungarian street snack blew us away during our recent month-long visit in Budapest. Lángos is a puffy disc of deep-fried dough topped with sour cream, garlic and shredded cheese, though decadent diners sometimes add additional toppings like bacon and brisket. We couldn’t get enough of the cheap treat in Budapest and hope to find it elsewhere in the world so that we can satisfy our lingering Lángos cravings.”

We’re Over: Putting An Egg On Top Of Burgers And Other Sandwiches

“To us, an oozing egg doesn’t improve the taste, beautify our Instagram photos or shrink our waistlines.”

[Photo: Sarah Stierch/Flickr]

Andrew and Karen Strikis of Fork And Foot

Yes, More Of: The Nepalese Mo:Mo

“Surely it’s no coincidence that the Nepalese Mo:Mo is shaped to fit the human mouth so perfectly? Buffalo (‘buff’) is a popular filling, but where these love-dumplings really shine is in the spicy dipping sauce called achaar. Sesame, tomato and a generous dash of chilli is all it takes to lift these pillow-soft dumplings to the next level! It’s a mystery to me why these aren’t on every street corner, because they are one of the cheapest and most delicious street dishes I’ve ever tasted.”

Please, Stop: Instagrammable, Yet Totally Impractical Plating

“Whether it’s a milkshake straddled by a foot-high skyscraper of ice cream, or an eye-fillet steak on a wooden board with its pink juices spilling over the edges and onto the table, it’s got to stop.”

[Photo: Karen and Andrew Strikis]

Julia Terranova of Casa Mia Italy Food And Wine Tours

What We Love Seeing: Food “Waste” Used In New And Inventive Ways

“For instance, we recently tried a recipe for carrots served with a pesto made from their own tops, which was a delicious way to make use of an ingredient that might otherwise go to waste.”

We’d Like To See Less: Flashy Food

“Beautiful food is great, as long as it tastes good, too. Many food trends recently have been all about making foods flashy, rather than making them taste good, as evidenced by the rise in popularity of ‘rainbow’ foods and of two-foot-tall milkshakes covered in bubblegum.”

[Photo: Jules/Flickr]

Loon Lio of Bogotá Foodie

Extremely Impressed By: Bife de Chorizo

“I had it at Restaurante Carnivoros (Calle 10, #9-1, Bogota). Finding a decent Argentinian-style steak is not that easy in Bogotá, as the steak in Colombia tends to be cut thin and grilled to the point where it is dry.”

Please, Let It Die: The Burger Trend

“This trend has been going on for ages. Whilst I love a top-quality burger, I think Bogotá has room for other cuisines, like say Asian food or Mexican.”

[Photo: Denise Mayumi/Flickr]

Article by Irene de Vette