Joanna James
Ever since the pandemic, our gastronomic resolutions have veered toward easy, nutritional, and delicious homemade meals with an eye for flavourful innovations with a personalised twist. Here's how 2023 is all set to take these heart-stirring cooking philosophies to a new level!
While budget-friendly minimalism in grocery shopping runs, eco-friendly functional foods and a more welcoming attitude towards greens and veggies are on the rise, one thing that we aren't willing to compromise on is its sublime taste! Even when it comes to comfort classics like chicken pot pies, mac and cheese, or slow cooker soups, consumers now seek to elevate these familiar favourites with new levels of sweetness, spiciness, and savouriness, as the globally awakened palate demands. This may involve adding in a smoky Cajun chicken marinade, a piquant Thai Red Curry mix, or a sweet mango chilli sauce. This obsession with flavour diversification has also extended into desserts, with alternative 'pink' and 'gold' chocolates flavoured with wild berries, rose, and toffee-caramel notes, spicy Aztec hot chocolate, tahini-laced chocolate chip cookies, and Asian-inspired taste bud tantalisers incorporating pandan, mochi, and allspice.
Escapism and audacity seem to be on the table when it comes to 2023 foodie tastes, with FMCG Gurus reporting that textures, colours, and flavours of edibles are the primary considerations for consumers, even surpassing affordability, sustainability, and health benefits. Whether it's Smurf-blue smoothie bowls layered with fruit, nut, and seed varieties, purple tomatoes, sunburst orange cauliflower, and Swiss chard confetti in wacky 'rainbow salads', or paper-thin Vietnamese-style shrimp, red cabbage, and herb-green spring rolls, consumers are also gravitating towards fresh, vibrant, and organic local produce, as people want to know where they're food comes from, what processes are involved, and how they can support domestic initiatives.
The rise in awareness and demand for mood-boosting, antioxidant-rich, and holistic meals combined with the increased desire to indulge our taste buds to their fullest capacity has been largely facilitated by social media trends, from 15-hour TikTok potatoes, baked feta pasta, and buffalo cauliflower bites to overnight breakfast cheesecake, pancake cereal, watermelon pizza, and ramen lasagna, and there's much to look forward to in 2023!
A deliciously audacious step beyond dainty charcuterie, imaginative food boards in Pinterest-worthy arrangements have opened new avenues of gastronomic bliss, from breakfast or brunch masterpieces showcasing fluffy stacks of pancakes, waffles, French toast, muffins, eggs, and sausages strategically surrounded by sweet and savoury toppings to mind-boggling snack buffets with inviting portions of peppers, pita bread, and hummus, apple slices, pretzels, and peanut butter, cheese, spicy jam, and crackers, as well as colouring in the gaps with crunchy trail mix, olives, cucumbers, fresh fruit, brownie bites, and mini pizzas. If you're on the hunt for high-quality instant food items to add finesse to your trendsetting smorgasbord, venture no further than the likes of McEwan Fine Foods.
Motivated by an increasing preference for non-alcoholic beverages, a range of innovatively vibrant drinkables is emerging. From peach and chamomile lemonade, gingery apple mocktails, and zesty orange-vanilla creamsicle smoothies for combating the heat, to spiced chai latte, warm golden milk, and candy-cane flavoured white hot chocolate, there are plenty of options to choose from.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
