Any good food is a trend, really, but where would those who write about it be without recourse to a crystal ball to see what’s clattering out of the global kitchen for 2024? Most of the ones noted here for the coming year seem to be conventional wisdom in some quarters, although possibly a couple reflect the prejudices and hopes of the compiler.
Colour blindness: According to Food Business News, the international trends to watch for include “luxe self-expression”, “dare to dupe” and “health without stealth” (respectively taken to mean TikTok friendly, sassy duplications of old-time favourites, and altogether more sensual presentations of stuff that’s “good for you”). There’s also “breaking boundaries” of taste and colour – desserts and drinks arrayed in bold reds, vibrant pinks, rich purples, refined blues, saturated yellows and earthy greens. What any of this means for diners is anybody’s guess – but watch that crème brûlée. Things could get kaleidoscopic.
Gourmet noodles: Old-school noodles with saffron and rose water, anyone? With high-quality new ingredients, naturally, but also avoiding preservatives. And why not? As staples become more expensive, dressing up a simple pack of noodles with fresh veges and spices, rather than pad Thai or chow mein, might be the financial tonic.
Magic mushroom coffee: The “magic” bit is just a little joke, but the growing popularity of mushroom-infused coffee apparently is not. The trendy beverage, which contains powdered mushrooms that have gone through an extraction and grinding process, started life in 2023 but is predicted to reach double-strength in the coming months. Proponents of the drink say it helps with concentration and reduces stress. The jury is still out – possibly in the nearest bathroom. Me, I’ll stick with my memories of a truly delicious new-style turmeric coffee savoured during a recent visit to England.
Palestine: Or should that be Falastin, the title of London-based chef Sami Tamimi’s soulful work, published during Covid but now in demand again as the miserable drumbeats sound in the Middle East? The war between Israel and Hamas has been unbearably bleak on nearly every front. Yet it’s focused the attention of some New Zealanders on broader aspects of the Levant – the most obvious of which must be its delightfully healthy, colourful and easy-to-rustle-up food. Tamimi’s mate Yotam Ottolenghi is certain to continue his run as a one-man trend into the new year, too.
Sounds of restaurant silence: Music while you eat, GK Chesterton held, constitutes an insult to both the chef and the composer. What better proof of the English writer’s maxim than the parlous eating experience at too many New Zealand restaurants, where meals are served to pulsing night club-style recordings. Happily, the Covid era seems to have dampened some of this aural exuberance. And there’s no reason to suppose this welcome transition won’t continue apace in 2024.
DIY gourmet meals: Not great news for restaurants, but what has been “in” in the past four years? These are kits aimed at home chefs looking to make snazzy dinners at a fraction of the eat-out cost. Mind you, they said the same about home-delivered cooking packages, and when I last checked on the NZX, the My Food Bag share price didn’t seem too flash.
Influencers schminfluencers: Influencers use their social media platforms to create food trends, encouraging younger consumers in particular to try celebrity-backed brands and cuisines. And some trouser a considerable amount of loot in exchange for the promotion (which they are meant to flag as an ad). Whatever their long-term durability, the trend for promoting fads such as butter boards, or using hash browns as a gluten-free bread alternative, led by these (yawn) “incredibly important people” seems booked to continue in the coming year.
Literary feastivals: The 2023 Auckland Writers Festival notched up something of a first by dispensing with a swag of sessions that might once have been turned over to pen-happy bores droning on about the dark night of the Kiwi soul. Instead it went with a brace of food authors more interested in dinner parties and the origins of pavlova. (Full disclosure: this author was one of them.) Tickets sold like organic hot cakes. Verily, the punters will have organisers for breakfast if they don’t follow suit.
Cultural inappropriation: The idea that someone can’t prepare or consume a certain dish because they are the wrong ethnicity always seemed to have a limited shelf life. All the more so because the items that ignite generally short-lived controversy have often already been through the cultural blender many times. And what in heaven’s name are home chefs supposed to do with the swag of new books encouraging them to experiment with culturally exotic new items? Cook them, that’s what, in 2024.
Journalist and foodie David Cohen co-edited The RNZ Cookbook, with Kathy Paterson, and co-wrote Ima Cuisine with Yael Shochat.
