Food and dining trends of 2014
From organic food to ancient grains, tapas to molecular gastronomy,
spiced flavoured beverages to edible flowers and unexplored regional
cuisine, Food and Beverages (F&B) in 2014 was a mélange of the old
and the new.
What goes out comes back in vogue. The old is the latest new and
classics are timeless. If any year has proven each of the above adages
to be true with a generous sprinkling of its own new flavours of course,
it has been 2014. With the year all set to leave center-stage, we look
at some of the interesting concepts that held the food world’s attention
year long and that of diners too.
GOING ORGANIC
Circa 2009, a famous brand advertisement made fun of organic aloo. Clearly they didn’t know that exactly five years hence, it would be the buzz word on every dining table, with the F&B world turning back to the good old time, where food was produced organically and chemical free. The year 2014 saw not only hotels hosting Organic Farm Markets (with Karen Anand helming a four city drive), but also standalones bringing them into their menu. In fact, says Vikas Seth, Corporate Executive Chef, Dish Hospitality, “Organic food became the symbol of food being fresh, healthy and flavourful.”
Also read: Rawism new mantra for healthy eaters
Of course the whole drive led to the year’s another trend- Single Source
Produce. Says Zubin D’Souza, Executive Corporate Chef, Mars
Enterprises, “2014 saw single-origin food as one of the big trends in
the food & beverage industry. Procuring food from a single farm or a
single region was given a lot of importance, more so as it translated
into better quality, better tasting food.” In fact, adds Indrajit Saha,
Executive Chef, Sofitel, “More F&B outlets began stocking products
like wine and chocolate made from a single source as it not only
established a certain credibility to the product but also consistency in
the end product.”
DE-CONSTRUCTING A DISH STORY
Deconstructed. The most heard word on every Chef’s table in 2014 (and
last leg of 2013) was more like a spillover from 2011, when the concept
made its debut on the Indian dining table with the humble apple pie
breakdown. Since then the thrill of presenting a dish – Indian and
otherwise – with each of its elements showcased in a unique fashion has
held the fancy of both the diners and the chefs. The indulgence of
course reached its pinnacle in 2014. Says Anjan Chatterjee, Founder
& MD Specialty Restaurant, “Deconstruction added a new dimension to
the process of creating and dining. Suddenly, food turned into an
indulgence that if on one hand egged the chefs to be more creative with
plating it encouraged diners to discover flavours in a whole new way. In
fact, today the whole element of surprise continued…
