These hot dishes and ingredients are popping up everywhere these days. From popular restaurant dishes to your favorite snacks at home.
HOT Ingredients
Matcha
This finely milled powder, made from special green tea leaves, has been popular in Japan for centuries but has taken off big time in the US – and on Instagram (#matcha has more than 1.7 million posts!). You’ll find the caffeinated powder in lattes, cookies, doughnuts, yogurt, babka and more.
Tahini
Ground sesame seed paste is finding its way into much more than hummus. Mighty Sesame Co. has started selling it in squeezable bottles so you can add a bit to dressings and sauces. And Delighted by Dessert Hummus is now available at grocery stores in flavors like brownie butter and snickerdoodle.
Turmeric
You’ll find this spice, touted for its anti-inflammatory properties, in soups and juices everywhere, but you might have had some without knowing it: Last spring, when Kraft reformulated its iconic mac and cheese, the company turned to turmeric for the bright orange color.
Maple Syrup
More than 4 million gallons of maple syrup were produced in the US last year, the most in a century, and we’re finding lots of new ways to consume it: in cocktails, in nutrient-rich waters (DRINKmaple and Happy Tree) and even in beers, like Maple Breakfast Stout from Vermont’s 14th Star Brewing Co.
Lox
Both Nordic cuisine and Jewish deli food are gaining in popularity, which means more smoked and cured salmon all around. The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City even named its new café Lox to match a menu that includes plates like pastrami lox, grapefruit and gin lox, and sake ginger lox.
Rosé
Pink wine is not just for summer anymore: Restaurant wine lists are offering rosé year-round, and the flavor has crossed over into candy: Sugarfina recently debuted Whispering Angel-infused gummies and the company racked up a wait list of 18,000 within two hours.
Plantain
The plantain, a banana-like fruit common in Latin American cooking, has become a nationwide favorite, thanks to its gluten-free but starchy nature. You can boil them, slice and fry them, or just snack on addictive plantain chips, like Miss Marjorie’s Steel Drum Plantains, sold at Whole Foods, specialty-food stores and online.
Coconut
Coconut milk is the drink of the moment (it’s blended with strawberry acai to make Starbuck’s Pink Drink), but we’re consuming coconut in many other forms, too: We’re cooking with coconut oil, rehydrating with coconut water and snacking on toasted coconut chips.
Kimchi
Everyone loves a probiotic these days, and this spicy Korean fermented cabbage is an excellent source of gut-healthy bacteria. You can find it in restaurant mash-ups like kimichi fries, or order some online and create your own kimichi snacks.
Za’atar
This Middle Eastern spice blend (thyme, sumac, sesame seeds) is like the new everything-bagel seasoning: It’s everywhere. We’ve even found it on the rim of a margarita. If you can’t find it on your grocer’s spice rack, order some from zesty-z.com; the owner jars his Lebanese mom’s recipe.
HOT Dishes
Shakshuka
We knew this Middle Eastern dish of eggs simmered in tomato sauce was a trend when a 12-year-old contestant made it on an episode of Food Network Star Kids. You’ll almost certainly see it on a brunch menu soon: Chefs love making it, and let’s be honest, it’s fun to say.
Naan
This traditional Indian flatbread has become America’s new favorite carb: It’s being used in place of taco shells, as a stand-in for hot dog buns, as pizza crust and as a chip. Make your own “naanchos” with naan chips from Bandar Foods.
Poke
Made primarily of raw tuna and Asian seasonings, this Hawaiian dish has found its way to the mainland, and the poke rice bowl could easily become the biggest fast-casual trend since Chipotle’s burrito bowl. In just 18 months, 20 new poke spots opened in the Bay Area alone.
Chicken and Waffles
This sweet-savory combo has been an enduring fad, but the race is on to create the most over-the-top version: Red Robin serves a tempura-fried chicken in a Belgian waffle bun, and Dimo’s Pizza in Chicago makes a Chicken ‘n’ Waffles slide topped with maple syrup.
Cacio E Pepe
This classic Roman dish – spaghetti with cheese and cracked pepper – has inspired new riffs across the United States, like scrambled eggs at Davanti Enoteca in Chicago, chips at The Cannibal in Los Angeles and pizza at Locale in Boston. There’s even a doughnut at New York City’s Locanda Verde.
Beefy Veggie Burgers
Food scientists have figured out how to make plan compounds cook, taste and even bleed like ground beef (with beet juice). Now hyperrealistic vegetarian “meats” like Beyond Burger are for sale at some Whole Foods stores (in the meat section), and “meat” from Impossible Foods has landed in dishes at Momofuku Nishi in New York City, Cockscomb in San Francisco and Crossroads Kitchen in Los Angeles.
Babka
The popularity of Jewish bakeries has led to renewed passion for this delicious twisted chocolate bread. You’ll likely find a fun version of it near you, like bread pudding, ice cream sandwiches or even babka cereal (credit to Wise Sons in San Francisco for that one).
Bulgogi
Bulgogi, a Korean barbecue staple, is having a moment beyond Koreatown. Chefs are using the soy-marinated beef in dumplings, tacos, pizza and more. Even Lay’s is in on the trend, with Korean Barbecue chips.
Chopped Cheese
This classic New York City bodega sandwich of American cheese melted into chopped-up ground beef has become a cult favorite, and it’s inspiring new versions across the country, including ones at Fiamma Burger in Bellingham, WA, and The Dime in Los Angeles.
Churros
The churro-fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar – has been reimagined in countless restaurant desserts, and its fame has spiked: Oreo has introduced a version, and it’s an off-menu Starbucks drink: Some stores will make a “secret” churro Frappuccino.
Article courtesy of Food Network Magazine
