Food Trends of 2018

These are some main trends:

The four K: kimchee, kraut, kefir, and kombucha

Stated by a daily newspaper The Guardian (Britain), the four K did not surprise anyone since fermented food like kimchee, kafir, kraut, and kombucha have been served in households for years but recently, the needs for them dramatically increase. Terms like “good for the gut” and “bacterial systems” were officially used in world languages. Become new trends also means those food’s prices will go up in store. However, we all can make them at home with a right recipe.

Let’s start with kimchee, one of the most popular traditional pickles in Korea. Kimchee is made from fermented vegetables, mainly nappa and cabbage. In Korea, hot and sour kimchee is served in most of meals and it is also powerful ingredients for other dishes.

Kraut (or sauerkraut in the US) is Germany style sour cabbage. It is made from fermented sliced cabbage with lactic acid bacteria like pickles. Indeed, Kraut was originated from China then it became a featured Germany dish before going to the America with migrants. Not only in German, Kraut also appears in all over eastern and central Europe. It is usually served with sausages and salted boneless trotters – another signature food of German.

Sour cabbage or Kraut, a Germany traditional dish.

Kefir is a type of sour milk, originated from the North Kavkaz mountains in Russia, and it has been used for hundred years. Usually, kefir is made from cow milk but goat, lamp, or buff milk is good, too. Kefir has a thick texture as smoothie and a sour taste. Kefir is highly rich in enzymes and useful bacteria, which can balance digestive system; it also contains much more nutrition than yogurt.

Kombucha is fermented tea, which has been used for thousand years in China then in Russia, India, Japan, and worldwide. Kombucha is made from green tea, black tea, or white tea, fermented by sugar and the symbiosis of fungi, bacteria and yeast in at least one week. This is an extremely healthy drink, which can support both digestive and immune systems with its enzymes, amino acids, antioxidants, and polyphenol.

Mushrooms and functional mushrooms

The Guardian once stated, “The Aztecs and ancient Egyptians honored Reishi (or Lingzhi) mushroom as an immortal mushroom. The Chinese have used this mushroom in medical field for thousand years ago and recently, according to a research from the US, having 5 ears of any edible mushrooms can prevent cancers, Alzheimer, and cardiovascular problems. However, the research has not been known, not in Britain though. Their botanical nature helps our body to dramatically improve the ability of adapting stress. "

Besides familiar mushroom used as daily food, the world has been observing the blast out of functional mushrooms, including Lingzhi, Chaga (a mushroom only found on birch trees in cold zones as north Canada, Alaska - US, or Siberia - Russia), and caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis). People have produced those functional mushrooms into tea, coffee, bottled water, and smoothie in many countries. Furthermore, they have been used in beauty caring fields as shampoo and soaps.

Meatless meals

The website called Treehugger advocated vegetarianism since it is not only a healthy lifestyle but it also conforms to ethical standards (no killing) and contributes to protect   our ecological environment. The trend is leading to the blooming of veggie restaurants, bistros, and super market. Besides tofu – the main ingredient of vegetarians, recently tempeh has become more popular.

Meatless meal: vegetables, cheese, and macaroni.

Traditionally, tempeh is from Java Island (Indonesia). Tempeh provides alternative proteins instead of meat or fish. Tempeh is made from soybeans like tofu but because they use whole soybeans. Therefore, the texture, flavor, and nutrition contains of tempeh is higher and richer than normal tofu. Especially, the longer it is kept, the firmer and smoother it is. To replace white and red meat, people also use wheat gluten, young jackfruit, frozen cheese, and numbers of vegetables.

Japanese style breakfasts

As food magazine Bon Appetite forecasted, Japanese style breakfasts will be spread out all over the world since they have the harmony of different lifestyles, from pancakes and syrup of the Europeans, eggs and sausages of the Americans to toasts and avocado sauce of the Mexicans, and other types.

A Japanese style breakfast.

Mr. Andrew Knowlton, editor assistant of Bon Appetite, said that he was satisfied with his daily Japanese style breakfasts with eggs, ramen, kimchee, scallion, and soy sauce. A breakfast is not enough without a small bowl of miso soup and a piece of grilled fish. “All just bring you happy and vibrant feelings”.

Flowers’ fragrance

For years, gardeners and cook leaders already knew about edible flowers. Recently, the inspiration from flowers, flowers’ fragrance though, strongly grows. Flowers’ petals are not only used in food but also drinks and snacks like soaking flowers’ petals in liquid before serving and drying petals to mix with snacks. There are some familiar flowers that are already in the list of tea, such as lavenders and roses; now we have hibiscus tea with a gorgeous red liquid and super healthy. Numbers of cocktails and foamed drinks are made with elderflowers, which is much better for who has diabetes or high blood pressure.

Elderflower syrup.

Homegrown vegetables

This trend was forecasted by the super market Loblaws in Canada. The needs of a kitchen garden are dramatically increasing since the last some decades. Fruity tomato vines on balcony, a leafy herbal garden in house, or some tree pots of dangling ripe fruits can provide fresh and clean ingredients for daily meals and also make the house more worth living. “The 2018 will bring tiny bee nests right in backyards, kitchen gardens in foam containers on windows’ sills, and also urban hencoops”, stated Loblaws.

By Golden Spoon Awards