Top 5 food trends to watch-out for in 2018

There will be no argument on it that 2017 was the year of avocado toast. Foodstagrammes were obsessed with them and it soon become a lifestyle statement, which gave birth to jokes and even an article on the Guardian with the title 'Will you be able to afford a flat if you stop buying avocado toast?'

With the dawn of another year, speculations galore on what food the millennials would go crazy over in 2018.

Of course, January would start with a truck load of new year resolutions, weight-loss goals and dishes that go with diet plans. So, it is right to assume that healthy, low-cal dishes would score in the first few weeks. What we should watch out for is whether this trend would wear off or stay a bit longer.

Moringa

Health buffs have no second thoughts about adding moringa leaf to their everyday diet. Moringa has transformed its image from the humble tree in the backyard to fancy power food sold in crystal bottles. Recipes using fresh and dried moringa leaves, drumstick and even moringa flower are aplenty in leading food blogs.

Here is an easy recipe to make moringa powder smoothie.

Jaggery

Rich with antioxidants and minerals, jaggery is a becoming a hot favorite among sweet tooths.

To an extend, jaggery plays the role of a non-sugary alternative, which helps diabetic people to satisfy their sweet cravings. Jaggery is known to have some excellent detox effects which places it high on the chart of upcoming food trends.

Watch video: How to make sarkkaravaratti aka jaggery coated banana chips

Lotus stem

Kerala's Palakkad Iyer cuisine has a long tradition of using the porous root of lotus plant to make fryums and chips. The spongy stem of the aquatic plant is consumed by Kashmiri Hindus in many forms – stews, fries or soups, you name it.

The stem is known for its various benefits including lowering blood pressure, cholestrol and improving digestion. Lately, lotus stem has made its way to the menus of fancy restaurants also in the form of salads and stir fries.

Add an element of surprise to your dinner table with this lotus stem curry

Passion fruit

Sweet and tangy, peppered with tiny crunchy black seeds, passion fruit is a gift from nature that calms one’s nerves as well as cools the body. It grows in wild abandon in our backyard and is quite a beauty with its round yellow shape and mild seductive smell.

Passion fruit juice not only slakes our thirst, but is also a health drink. Rich in nutrients, the flavonoids in the fruit are ideal stress-busters. In fact, the drink is being touted as a nerve-smoothie, and marketed for its wonderful medicinal properties.

Read more: Passion fruit lemonade, a luscious way to beat the summer heat

Tea

Fancy coffee shops have become so common that every small town has a cafe around the corner that offers frothy mochas and a cool ambiance. Chai, however, remained sticking to its humble avatar in small wayside shops for long. But times are changing. Entrepreneurs have realized that coffee may not be everybody's cup of tea.

By the last quarter of this year, we have seen a surge in number of new-gen chai stops like Chaayos, Chai Point, Chai Story and Chai Thela indicating what the trends are going to be in 2018.

Read more: You say coffee, I say chai: Exclusive chai stops to make tea hip again