Emerging Trends

The past few years have seen an explosion of Korean cuisine, Southern States barbecue, Peruvian and Sichuan flavours on the menus of cafes, restaurants, bars, and food trucks. Being on the forefront of global food trends is essential in attracting customers looking to taste the hype...so what’s next?

Wonderful West Africa

While the tagines, couscous and harissa of North African cuisines are already familiar on menus here, the western part of that continent is quickly growing gourmet chops. Flavours from Senegal, Nigeria and Ghana are big right now in culinary capitals London, Paris, and New York, and the time is ripe to introduce the buzz to Kiwi diners. West African cuisine features plenty of vegetables, pulses, and grains, and while warming spices are generously used, the heat factor is often on the mild side, balanced with sweet and tangy elements and a background of ginger and garlic.

Inspo…

Jollof rice – one of the most beloved dishes in Ghana and Nigeria, a rich tomato and spice-infused rice often served with stews and chicken dishes.

Yassa chicken – Senegalese specialty of marinated chicken cooked till it falls off the bone.

Pepper soup – a hearty amount of white and black pepper makes for a warming soup, enriched with chunky vegetables and sometimes chicken on the bone, or tender goat meat.

One pot meals – all-in dishes with vegetables, pulses, and/or meat cooked on top of rice or other grains like sorghum or millet. Perfect for sharing.

Okra – it features in dishes from all across Africa – its texture when slow cooked can be polarising but try dusting it in a light spiced batter and frying till golden and crisp.

 Georgian gems

Nestled in the Caucasus, Georgia has built its fascinating cuisine over centuries, cherry picking the best from the Greeks, Turks, Russians, as well as the Far East thanks to the Silk Road passing through. Georgia’s orange wine has already been rocking the scene for the past few years, now it’s time for her food to shine, too.

Inspo...

Khachapuri – boat-shaped bread filled with cheese, cooked to bubbling golden perfection and topped with an egg … and as a quick hashtag search will reveal, born to be ‘Grammed!

Kefir – similar to yoghurt, this tangy cultured dairy delight is great for the gut and great on cereals, in smoothies, in savoury dips and sauces, and can be used to give lift to baking.

Khinkali – Georgian dumplings – enough said!

Walnuts – a staple used in unexpected ways in both savoury and sweet dishes.

Adjika – a vibrant and flavoursome chilli and garlic paste.

 
Food without borders

It’s one big world filled with so many possibilities when it comes to eating… why limit ourselves according to tradition? Increasingly people want to enjoy a sense of freedom when it comes to dining out – trying new ingredients and interesting combinations and learning something about one or more world cuisines in the process. The key is to acknowledge the cultural importance of foods and work to incorporate them in a way that’s both respectful, and tastes great – often just a touch of a novel ingredient, as a garnish even, is enough to pique interest without overpowering.

Inspo…

Ottolenghi – his recipes often marry flavours and techniques from diverse cuisines. Take a leaf from his many books and stock up on barberries, yuzu, balacan, dried limes, za’atar, pomegranate molasses, and black garlic.

Common ground – take inspiration from features that diverse food cultures have in common: fermentation, barbecuing, slow-cooking, wok-firing, grilled skewers, things stuffed or wrapped, caramelisation, and the balance of sweet, sour, and salty.