Food trend forecast
On the sunny shores of Malta we have always been a little slow to catch up with any kind of trends happening globally and food trends have generally been no different. With the exploding use of social media, however, Malta has become quicker to catch up and some global food trends of 2015 have already taken a strong foothold on the island. These are a few that we believe will continue to make it big in 2016.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar / Rachel Agius
Craft beers
Drinkers are moving away from mass-produced beverages and choosing artisanal beverages, whether they are spirits, barrel-aged wines or beers. Imported craft beers are become more readily available at a number of night time hangouts. Lord Chambray is producing Gozo’s very own craft beers.
Set up in 2014, this local craft beer has been steadily gaining ground and is set to become even more popular in the coming year.
Food trucks
The release of Jon Favreau’s Chef in 2014 romanticised the food truck industry somewhat. Whether it was the movie or a genuine demand for street food, the food truck business has been on the rise. The Grassy Hopper and KuYa, though starting off solely as food trucks, have laid down more concrete roots while others like Miss Ellen’s Travelling Treats and Roots have stuck to their wheels. Cheaper to run and able to travel to where the party’s at, keep your eye out for more quality food coming off the back of a truck.
Specialty dietary requirements
Whether people are just more aware of dietary allergies or whether the latter are actually on the rise is still questionable, though whatever the case more and more people are choosing to go gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free and feeling better for it. Locally restaurants are also catching on, with options for people staying away from certain food types. Some have even gone as far as having gluten-free menus though these are still in the minority.
Sustainable fishing
Though eating fish is part of a healthy diet, overfishing has rendered many of our favourites unsustainable. Chefs are trying out recipes using more sustainable varieties to keep the fish in our seas. If you’re trying to stick to the sustainable list but aren’t quite sure what’s what, log on to www.fish4tomorrow.com, a local website, to find out how sustainable your Mediterranean dinner really is.
Matcha tea
Matcha is a souped up version of green tea. This ancient Japanese beverage is touted as the cure for everything with health benefits that leave regular green tea in the dust. This heady brew is available locally as a latte at a number of health food restaurants. If you aren’t keen on drinking the stuff, try it in baked goods such as cakes and éclairs.
Flour? Which kind?
A growing interest in healthy food has led importers to broaden their range of products and local shoppers are thanking their lucky stars. One such improvement has been the introduction of different types of flour. The home baker is no longer forced to use plain old white or wholemeal grain flour. Chickpea, spelt, kamut, rice, millet, buckwheat, hemp and soy flours have all been spotted on shelves, a welcome change for the health-conscious and those with restricted diets. Another pleasant development is that these products can be found in a growing number of supermarkets, not just dedicated health food shops, making shopping even easier.
Sugar is the enemy
We’ve long been aware of the dangers of refined sugars and know they should only be present in our diets in very small amounts, if at all. Of course it’s hard to actually follow this advice, what with processed and pre-prepared foods remaining a convenient option. But as the foodie world became more interested in the quality of its food, so more alternatives to refined sugar have been made available. Honey, agave syrup, maple syrup and date sugar are all options the home cook can turn to if white sugar doesn’t quite sound so sweet any more.
The ‘boring’ veg share the limelight
Some vegetables are born to be stars – think sweet potatoes, broccoli and other bright fare that adds contrast and colour to a dish. Until recently, no one thought too highly of veg like cauliflower and zucchini; they were considered a supporting act, at best. But a recent movement saw a new interest in these vegetables and novel ways of preparing them that exploit and enhance their natural attributes. ‘Spiralised’ zucchini made for a healthy alternative to carb-packed pastas and cauliflower has undergone a veritable renaissance, appearing on menus and dinner tables mashed, roasted, toasted or as a gluten-free, waist-line friendly pizza base.
Organic foods
People are becoming more interested in where their food comes from. They are no longer happy with the perfectly polished, uniform options available at the supermarkets that have travelled half way across the world. They are trying as much as possible to buy local and to buy organic. Organic certification is difficult to achieve in Malta because of other farmers who use pesticides in the vicinity. Still, shoppers are looking for vegetable growers that use little to no pesticides or are resorting to imported organics.
