From Ube to Black Garlic – 9 Food Trends to Watch Out for in 2020

This might be how your life in food looks next year.

Posted on

31 December 2019

Posted by

Maebelle

From Ube to Black Garlic – 9 Food Trends to Watch Out for in 2020

All Credits: PA

For food and drink in 2019, we've...

Scoffed cauliflower and fried chicken in extremes, bought sourdough to mash our avocado into (still) and thought more carefully than ever before about our meat consumption.

So what will 2020 bring for our diets? These are the food trends and ingredients to look out for as the new decade begins…

1. Sandwiches

We’re talking katsu sandos (fried meat squished between slices of Japanese milk bread), and towers of salt beef and pastrami with pickles on the side – not limp cheese and tomato triangles wrapped in plastic from the supermarket.

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Finally got my hands on THAT Iberian katsu sando @tou_london at @arcadelondon - Trust the hype, it is THAT good ... — Iberian Katsu Sando £14.0 #TouLondon #TataEatery #tottenhamcourtroad

A post shared by LONDON FOOD #londonfood (@london.food) on Aug 10, 2019 at 11:01am PDT

2. Black garlic

These umami babies are the result of fermenting and ageing standard garlic bulbs, until treacly in colour and tasting of aniseed and balsamic. Chefs can’t get enough of them.

3. Zero-alcohol spirits

Seedlip was a pioneer in the world of alcohol-free spirits, but it was never destined to stand alone for long. Prepare for the likes of Strykk, Three Spirit and Everleaf and their botanical mixes to become staples.

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The complex blend of botanicals give Everleaf a full flavour and mouthfeel that can sometimes be missing in non-alcoholic drinks. We only use the most sustainably sourced botanicals. Sustainable sourcing and sustainable consumption is the heart of everything we do #sustainable #lowno #flavour #texture #mouthfeel #sustainableconsumption

A post shared by Everleaf (@everleafdrinks) on Dec 11, 2019 at 8:08am PST

4. Jackfruit

Caribbean cuisines have long used jackfruit, and the vegan community has caught on (the tinned stuff is currently most accessible and makes for a great meat alternative). Next, it’s likely to go mainstream.

5. Zero-waste and refill

The Blue Planet II effect is only going to continue into 2020, meaning more loose fruit and veg (fingers crossed), managing your food waste at home better (leftovers are almost always more delicious anyway) and a move towards relying on refill stores for topping up on dry goods.

6. Butters

According to Whole Foods, we’ll be spreading our toast with a host of ‘new’ butters, free from dairy. Expect macadamia nut butter (surely more luxurious than the peanut variety?), pumpkin butter and even watermelon seed butter to hit the breakfast table.

7. More sustainable seafood

We need to eat more in line with the seasons – for the sake of the planet and our resources. Often we’re quite good with this on the fruit and veg front, but not so much on the seafood side of things. Get to know your fishmonger (whether at an independent store or at the supermarket) now, so when you’re hankering for prawns but know they’re not native and not in season, they can tell you what is most sustainable to eat instead.

8. Ube

Purple ube ice cream is already quite popular on Instagram, but the purple yam from the Philippines is set to be rolled out across desserts and savoury items in the coming months.

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Snowdays - Ube Shaved Ice, Ube Hot Chocolate . . My favorite flavor <3 I think this is only available during December (unfortunately T^T), so if you like ube and are in the city before the year ends, maybe consider dropping by here! . . . #newyork #newyorkcity #nyc #nyceats #eastvillage #snowdays #snowdaysnyc #yeti #shavedice #snowcream #ube #purple #purpleyam #hotchocolate #marshmallows #whippedcream #sweet #dessert #food #foodie #foodlover #foodphotography #yummy #delicious #favorite #musteat #limitedtime #holidayseason

A post shared by Emily Yang (@em.maegeon) on Dec 16, 2019 at 8:10pm PST

9. End of the kids’ menu as we know it

Many children, once they hit a certain age, are no longer satisfied with just fish fingers and chips, or a burger. Expect restaurants to start offering smaller versions of adult mains, as well as healthier and much more ambitious kids’ options.