10 foods that will trend in 2022 and this is why

As we begin to unmask ourselves and become ‘the new normal', it's time to embark on the journey of another year that will normalise all the things. Be it dining out with our loved ones or making our lives more sustainable, the upcoming year 2022 will be more about ‘zero waste'. Before the beginning of every year, some foods start trending due to their popularity across the globe. Based on the same concept, while we saw Dalgona Coffee and Sourdough gaining a lot of popularity, this year is going to be more about ‘less meat and alcohol’. These trends are based on the latest Whole Food Market and Waitrose Food & Drink reports, which outline the rising demand for environment-friendly foods and ‘zero wastage’. Here is a list of foods that will trend in the upcoming year. (Images: Istock & Pexels)

Known for its high vitamin C content, Hibiscus is a beautiful flower that grows in almost all continents. You will see more of Hibiscus-flavoured yoghurts, functional sodas, fruit spreads and of course tea.

It has retained its spot for the past 2-3 years and is a superfood that has been identified by World Health Organization (WHO) as well for its ability to fight malnutrition. Moringa is now being included in desserts, protein bars, chocolates and even grain blends. It’s a miracle leaf with 7 times more vitamin C than an orange and 15 times more potassium than a banana.

Because of the pandemic, bar culture declined in the past 2 years and it is probably one of the reasons and also due to the pandemic and the need to rev up the immunity, people started believing in the power of herbs and spices. So, there was an increase in the number of brands offering ready to drink spiced cocktails and this trend is likely to grow even more in the year 2022.

This is also one of the ripple effects of the pandemic. In the past 1 year or so, there has been a growth in the herbal teas market due to low immunity and after-effects of Covid. People took the herbal tea route to relieve stress & anxiety, improve sleep and boost immunity. Projections show that it is going to further expand in the year 2022. According to a report by Market Intellix, "The herbal tea market is projected to witness a growth of CAGR 4.2 per cent in the next 5 years. Some of the popular herbal teas that will become popular in 2022 are chamomile tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, white tea, matcha tea, earl grey tea and even Kashmiri Kahwa.

Nutritionists have started pushing for fermented foods such as kefir, natto, miso, sauerkraut, kombucha a lot as they contain a lot of probiotics, which are good for the gut. These foods not only improve the gut but boosts immunity and weight loss as well. Thus, you will see a lot of restaurants offering fermented foods in 2022.

Due to the growing scare of cancer, there has been a rise in selenium-rich foods. It's an essential trace mineral that plays a great role in protecting the body from free radicals which cause the risk of various diseases such as cancer. Selenium is also responsible for the function of the thyroid gland and protects the body from various infections. Thus, foods like brazil nuts, mushrooms and eggs are going to be the best foods of 2022.

Potato milk is going to be the new trendsetter of 2022 as people will be more focused on plant-based and environment-friendly foods. It will give a tough competition to other plant-based milk such as oat milk, soy milk and even almond milk.

Taking the whole culinary world by storm, yuzu is an Asian fruit and is commonly found in China, Japan and Korea. This fruit has a very sour & tart flavour and cannot be enjoyed on its own. Because of its potent flavour, the juice of this fruit is used in vinaigrette, hard seltzer (an alcoholic drink), and even mayonnaise. You will see several grocery products flavoured with this fruit in the upcoming year.

The Waitrose report says the year 2022 will see a rise in spice-based dishes. Foods inspired by global cuisines like Japanese furikake, Korean gochujang and even Mexican tajin are going to be the ‘IT’ thing of the food industry in the next year.

A top trend to watch in 2022, this trend means that people want to significantly reduce their meat consumption but aren’t ready to go full vegan. This probably will mean there will be a trend for plant-based meats.