As the New Year starts, a lot of people are looking forward, trying to figure out what’s likely to happen. Food lovers are not immune from this. And so Chef Jerry Pellegrino and I are going to look into out crystal ball and try to discern what lies ahead for us and our kitchens.
First, Jerry has observed the rise of what he calls “functional foods”, that is foods that are marketed with a specific purpose in mind. Here are several that Jerry sees increasing in popularity.
Matcha - a finely ground powder made from shade-grown green tea leaves that is rich in antioxidants and nutrients like L-theanine, which can improve focus and relaxation.
Lion's mane - Lion's mane mushroom offers potential health benefits including supporting brain function, boosting the immune system, and promoting heart and digestive health. It may help improve cognitive function, memory, and focus, as well as support nerve regeneration and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Probiotics - are popular for their health benefits, such as improved gut health and immunity.
Al is seeing one disturbing trend that worries him. We are be sold a lot of pre-packaged meals that are nearly ready to eat or go into a microwave. They are marketed as “restaurant quality” and “take all the guess-work out of cooking”. It’s nothing less than corporate America telling us we need to our-source our home cooking to them. It is anti- home cooking.It is anti-cultural. It is anti-community. While we understand the need for convenience, do we have to sacrifice our abilities in the kitchen to achieve it? It’s a bad trend.
Closely related are personalized nutrition products. If you are having supposedly healthy meals shipped to you, you are losing touch with using your own kitchen for your own good. If on the other hand, they are sending you a customized plan that you fulfill, it is a positive development.
We have seen a growing appreciation for high quality canned seafood: tuna, salmon,, mackerel, trout, sardines, oysters and clams. It started in Europe and is now spreading. You may be understandably skeptical until you try some, say, Spanish canned tuna.
One food category that is gaining interest are probiotics. These are popular for
their health benefits, such as improved gut health and immunity. Probiotics also are present in a new fad, mushroom coffee. Not just any mushrooms, but a small group that have properties that promote things like healthy heart function and stamina.
Proteins are another popular food category. Proteins are showing up in all manner of food including snack bars.
Finally, we are glad to say that one continuing trend seems here to stay: support for the buy local movement. Farm to table eating has become a part of our lives, and since it is easy
to manage, it seems likely to be a permanent feature in our cooking.
