What foods led the way in 2018?
According to the UK's Waitrose & Partner's Trend report, there are a few key food leaders to keep an eye on in 2019.
JACKFRUIT - Grown in South East Asia, Brazil and Africa, this sweet but sour fruit is now found in burgers and tacos. It’s also a popular vegetarian substitute for pulled pork.
MISO - Sales of white miso paste are up 28%, as it’s increasingly used in non-Japanese dishes (miso-glazed parsnips, for instance) to add a distinctive savoury taste.
TURNIPS - An upturn for the turnip: the humble vegetable is appearing in everything from gratin to vegetarian meatballs and mash.
CRISPY CHICKEN SKIN - Delicious to dip, or when served as a canapé. People have also been whipping it into butter and crumbling it over seafood.
MODERN MEXICAN - Fresh, zingy Mexican food has rocketed in popularity. The taco is the new sandwich, don’t you know.
SOURDOUGH - Boosted by the ever-growing popularity of brunch, sales of sourdough loaves have soared by a third.
AQUAFABA - The viscous quality of chickpea water makes it an excellent egg replacement in vegan meringues or mousse. It’s now mainstream enough to have made it into the Scrabble dictionary (22 points).
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR - Once the preserve of salad dressings, the purported health benefits and trend for fermented foods have seen sales rise 60% this year.
HERBS IN PUDDINGS - Fancy some lemon thyme mousse? Or tonka bean and thyme panna cotta? Pass the spoon, please.
KEFIR - This naturally fermented drink, similar to yogurt, has long been consumed in mainland Europe. UK sales have almost tripled this year.
Source: Waitrose Food & Drink Report, 2018-19