Each year, a new food craze emerges and takes the culinary world by storm, wedging its way onto every restaurant menu. By the time most chefs master how to incorporate it into their dishes, there is already a new food fad; it can be hard to keep up! In 2014, it was quinoa, and in 2015 the winner was kale. Today’s World Kitchen has spotted the unusual food trends, or as some refer to them “foods that are way too cool right now” that have emerged in 2016.
Poke – A fairly simple Hawaiian dish commonly featuring chopped yellowfin tuna with soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions or onions. Individual chefs put their own twist on it, such as fresh jalapenos or warm tortilla strips.
Black Raspberries – Gaining popularity for their antioxidants, black raspberries are showing up everywhere. From black raspberry stuffed French toast in the morning to black raspberry cobbler for dessert, these berries have made their mark.
Coconut Water – The world is currently going through a “take water from any fruit or tree possible” phase, which all started with coconut water. Coconut water is emerging in Flourless cakes, in vinaigrettes, meat marinades and rice pudding.
Algae – Algae is popular due to its health benefits pertaining to colon cancer, heart health, blood pressure and diabetes. Today’s World Kitchen is finding algae in Superfood Chia Pudding, salad dressings and oddly enough- butter cookies.
Savory Yogurts – “Yogurt 2.0” with low sugar, high protein and healthy fats. Savory yogurt is commonly featured as a breakfast option in parfaits, but as one of 2016’s food trends it’s been spotted in mac&cheese, pizzas, deviled eggs and quiches.