Coconut sugar
This golden sugar has a subtle caramel flavour and is a great substitute for brown sugar. Use it in cake baking or add a pinch to your Thai curries to add a touch of sweetness. It’s also great to use in your tea or coffee…and the best part of it all, it’s low GI!
Matcha
I’m not a great lover of drinking tea, but I love the idea of cooking with Matcha. This Japanese green tea powder is not only packed with vitamins and minerals, but it is also beautiful with its bright green hue. Use it in cakes, confectionaries and drinks.
Pistachios
This is the nut of the year, so why not substitute your favourite nut recipes to include pistachios. Use it abundantly in salads, tagines, pastries, and frozen desserts.
Fermented food
Old favourites like pickles are back en vogue this year. Preserve and ferment your own veggies or incorporate things like kimchi and sauerkraut into your dishes.
Smoked Food
From smoked salts, to smoking essence and smoking wood chips there are many ways to impart a smoky flavour to your foods. Next time you have a braai, why not toss some rosemary sprigs onto the wood and impart a herby smoky flavour to your meat?
Savoury Ice creams
I can’t imagine licking an ice cream cone filled with mushroom flavoured ice cream to be enjoyable, but if you think outside the box a little and rather see the savoury ice cream as a component of a dish, then I can definitely understand how this trend could take off. Think blue cheese ice cream served with a piping hot onion tarte tatin or basil ice cream served with Caprese salad, now that’s definitely something I could sink my teeth into.