22 things we’ll be eating and drinking in 2017
Foods of the future
Move over avocado, there are some new food fads in town and they’re ready to take over the world in 2017. We round up the cream of the crop.
Hawaiian poke
Sushi could be pushed aside in 2017, according to a survey by British supermarket Waitrose. It says Polynesian food could be the next big thing, particularly Hawaiian Poke, a raw fish salad with lime, soy and sesame.
Watermelon juice
Back in May 2016, Beyoncé bought a stake in WTRMLN WTR – a drink that is said to taste like drinking straight from a watermelon, and which comprises just watermelon flesh, rind and lemon. If Beyoncé loves it, the chances are everybody else will too.
Vegetable yogurt
Yep – it’s a thing. And it’s about to get bigger. In the US, product developers have started infusing the flavors of vegetables such as carrot, beetroot, sweet potato and tomato into yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. It’s not quite as weird as it sounds though, the idea is that it’s a savory dip, much like tzatziki, so the chances are it will be pretty delicious.
Perfume-inspired cocktails
This year, London’s Café Royal paired up with Givenchy to design 10 different perfume-inspired cocktails. Waitrose has predicted this will become a phenomenon in 2017.
Purple food
We’re not just talking eggplant and beetroot, we’re talking purple carrots, purple corn, purple broccoli – you name it. According to experts from Whole Foods, who examined consumer behavior across stores globally, everyone’s plates are going to be looking very colorful in 2017, with purple foods in particular expected to fly off the shelves.
Black rice
Meanwhile, as colored foods start making an appearance on more plates, so does black rice, which is known to be far healthier than its white or brown alternatives. Just try to avoid it on a first date, unless you want to smile with black teeth.
Chocolate for breakfast
If you haven’t got a sweet tooth, the thought of chocolate first thing in the morning probably makes you feel a little queasy. But for those of you who have, the good news is you won’t be judged for indulging in the a.m. Recent studies have linked dark chocolate consumption to positive health benefits, meaning it can be a great way to prepare you for your working day.
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Plant butchery
The veggie lifestyle became hugely popular in 2016 as people started replacing meat for healthy, vegetarian substitutes. According to nutritionists, this is going to become an even wider trend in 2017 and chickpeas, corn, legumes and mushrooms are likely to start standing in for steaks and burgers in butcher shops to please both vegetarians and carnivores simultaneously.
Oven-ready meal kits
According to Whole Foods, oven-ready meal kits and prepared vegetable medleys are likely to be a big hit in 2017 as people increasingly look for a combination of healthy food and speed and ease.
Sardines
While sardines might seem a bit outdated, new Portuguese branding has boosted popularity for the oily fish, which are now being produced with a modern spin and marinated in interesting flavors. Restaurants are also beginning to jump onto the trend, serving up plump versions of the protein-rich fish on toast or as a starter.
Handpulled noodles
Taking China by storm are handpulled noodles, which are hugely popular in big-city restaurants. While the concept, which involves stretching and pulling fresh noodles in a technical way, has not moved into restaurants worldwide yet, nutritionists expect it to become much bigger and please sushi fans who are interested in the showmanship aspect of creating food.
Mocktail mixology
While mocktails used to be known as the poor man’s cocktail, consisting of orange juice and grenadine, mixologists are now mixing up non-alcoholic alternatives with fresh-pressed juices, flavored teas and muddled herbs and spices.
Bone broth
The bone broth craze has already been slowly sweeping across the US, but is likely to continue into 2017 across the world. Much like goat, bone broth contains a lot of collagen, which is said to have desirable properties for your joints, gut and brain.
Coconut everything
From coconut oil to coconut tortillas and chips, coconut is a well-known superfood and could be making a regular appearance in pretty much everything this year.
Goat
The next big protein to hit plates around the world could be goat, according to nutritionists. Most famous in Caribbean dishes, goat has a lot less fat than most meat, meaning a lot of meat-eaters could turn to goat for a much healthier meat choice.
Pasta alternatives
Spiralized veg became all the rage in 2016, but other pasta alternatives are due some attention this year. Gluten-free noodles made from chickpeas, quinoa and lentils are about to become a lot bigger, Whole Foods predicts.
Seaweed
See ya later kale; chefs are now looking to alternative greens such as seaweed and chard for something a little different. There are also said to be a lot of health benefits to eating these greens, such as low levels of heavy metals, which feature highly in a lot of traditional green veg.
Takeout meals from local chefs
Delivery-only restaurants are rising in popularity as people look for healthy fast food alternatives delivered straight to their door. Munchery has already launched in the US, and is an online food ordering service, which allows you to skip the burgers and order fresh meals from local chefs.
Naan pizzas
According to Pinterest, naan pizzas were one of the biggest food trends towards the end of 2016, and are definitely likely to carry on into 2017. People are loving the concept of topping a naan bread with cheese, tomato and other pizza-style toppings, and we can totally see why.
Sous-vide cooking
If you love watching cooking competitions on TV, you’ll already be familiar with sous-vide, which is a way of vacuum packing food and leaving it in a water bath to cook for hours. Most commonly used for cooking meats and fish, sous-vide allows you to slow-cook food for up to 48 hours before serving it. Yum.
Jackfruit
Pinterest has also predicted jackfruit, the national fruit of Bangladesh, will take to our fruit bowls in 2017. The fruit saw a 420% rise in popularity among Pinterest users in 2016, thanks in part to the vegan community, which discovered jackfruit is a great and convincing meat substitute.
Creative condiments
Sriracha sauce was the biggest condiment fad of 2016, and there are more new taste bud-arousing sauces and dips waiting for us this year, such as habanero jam, black sesame tahini and beet salsa.