Goth Food for 2018

We always thought (hoped?) we were trendy but didn't realise we were so on trend with food predictions for 2018. Apparently the National Restaurant Association in the US recently surveyed 700 American Culinary Federation members and asked them to rate 161 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news,” or “perennial favorite” on menus in 2018. They then listed the top 20 food trends expected to be hot in 2018.  What was the up-shot?

"Goth" food is food that is dyed with squid ink or activated charcoal. Coconut shells are incinerated to black dust to colour a range of foods from pasta to pizza to icecream, supposedly adding to detox attributes. Delaware online talks of this being "in response to all that color" following a year of rainbow coloured foods. Saw this fabulous cocktail suggestion based on black garlic and mirin true to the Goth theme (in 225 Magazine):
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Cocha's Labyrinth cocktail with grilled pineapple, lime, Barley’s Rum, orgeat (a rosewater-almond syrup) and black garlic mirin. Photo by Charlene Guilliams

We tick the trend boxes by being a:

• Natural ingredient adorning 'clean' menus
• Veggie-centric/vegetable-forward cuisine  where fresh produce is star of the dish
• Locally sourced produce
• Simple, back to basics ingredient
• Farm/estate-branded item

Source: The National Restaurant Association

Happy New Year for 2018 - here's to a healthy happy year!