Food trends come and go, and some of them last forever. There’s no way a cheeseburger will ever become unpopular no matter what. Each year there will always be new foods emerging too that gain a sudden surge of popularity. Whether that’s from social media or the latest Michelin star restaurant add it to their menu, food trends change all the time. Packaging also plays a big role into how well loved a food item becomes. Nobody will look twice at the hideously designed sauce you’ve made no matter how good it tastes. Instead, the packaging needs to be equally as good as the food itself. For instance, the honey jar labels on the famous bear packaging needs to match the overall theme. So, as we see more variations in packaging and food availability, let’s take a look at the top food products that you should try in 2022!
- Gochujang
With Korean pop culture becoming increasingly popular in the West, people are interested in Korean food itself and wanting to give it a go. Gochujang is a staple in Korean cooking, and it can be found in a lot dishes. Gochujang is a red pepper paste that has a hint of sweetness combined with a warming heat to create the perfect underlying flavour to any savoury dish. It’s made by combining gochu-gaur (red pepper flakes) with other ingredients like fermented soy beans and glutinous rice starch to create the paste Koreans know and love. Gochujang can be used in dishes like bibimbap and tteokbokki. These dishes wouldn’t be the same without that fiery sweetness of gochujang, so you can see why it’s such an important ingredient. You can find it in a lot more supermarkets now thanks to the boom of Korean food sales, so you can easily pick some up for yourself. Why not grab some gochujang and see if you can rustle up some delicious Korean dishes for dinner.
- Protein Yoghurts
Getting enough protein is vital for your health, and it can be hard to hit your daily amount without a little help. But instead of always reaching for the protein powder, you could try protein yoghurts. These have blown up on social media within the fitness community, as the little pots of sweet yoghurt can have up to 20g of protein per serving! You’ll find them in a wide range of flavours too such as chocolate and caramel, so you’ll definitely be able to find something that you like. While protein powders are good, they can get a but tedious and trying to force down a drink when you really don’t feel like it can be impossible. But if you stock up your fridge with some tasty protein yoghurts, you can be sure that you’re getting the right amount of protein each day with ease.
- Fermented Foods
There’s always talk about superfoods, but a lot of the time they tend to be quite bland and boring. However, there’s one super food that always packs a punch and that’s the fermented kind. From the spicy tang of kimchi to the pickly goodness of sauerkraut, fermented foods can bring a whole new flavour sensation to your diet. You can easily add fermented foods like these into your daily meals too. If you’re having a rice based dish, why not pop some kimchi on the side. Or if you’ve got meat and potatoes, add a few spoonfuls of sauerkraut to your plate as well. Fermented foods contain a lot of probiotics which are great for your gut health and are said to help boost your immune system as well. So, don’t be afraid to try something pickled this year and add some fermented foods to your meals.
- Plant-Based Alternatives
With the rise of the flexitarian, plant-based alternatives are becoming a lot more common place. As we become more aware of our impact on the climate and how meat consumption plays into it, a lot of people are deciding to cut theirs down a bit. This doesn’t mean going completely vegan, but simply swapping out a few meals a week to being plant-based instead. Thanks to the amazing new products out there, you aren’t limited to dry bean burgers either. Pretty much any meat that you want, you can find a plant-based alternative. From beef steaks to chicken nuggets, the supermarkets carry it all. So, why not see what your local shops have to offer and see if any of their plant-based alternatives can tempt you. You might not even be able to tell the difference when it’s on your plate!
- Intriguing Mushrooms
The number of people that like mushrooms seems to dwindle now and then, but mushrooms are now back with a bang. People are now just discovering how many different varieties of mushroom there really are and how different they can all taste to each other. You’ve probably seen videos of people foraging their own interesting looking mushrooms and wondered why you’d only ever eaten the rather bland button or chestnut kind. Now, you can find lots of weird and wonderful mushrooms like hen-of-the-wood (known for it’s unique look and meaty texture) and black morel (known for it’s strange appearance and delicious taste). So, why not try out all the different kinds of edible mushrooms your green grocers have on sale and see what interesting dishes you can conjure up.
Food can be exciting and there are so many different foods out there that we would have never have even dreamed of 20 years ago. So, why not give some of these 5 a go and see if you can create something super delicious. You could even combine them and make a mushroom dish with a plant-based main, a side of sauerkraut, and a spicy sauce, and then a protein yoghurt for dessert!
