Welcome to Fine Words and Buttered Parsnips, a column of meandering culinary sensibilities, investigating the world of food and fare from a plethora of perspectives.
In 2024, social media played a tremendous role in popularizing the trends and tendencies in food, from diets to viral (and questionable) ingredient combinations (re: balsamic vinegar and seltzer). Flavours including pistachio, hojicha, and miso dominated recipes. Social media was overrun by Dubai chocolate bars, the sent-from-heaven Olympics chocolate muffin, Crumbl cookies, and the astounding discovery of cucumbers. “Girl Dinner” fought against high-protein cottage cheese-laced everything, while “sweet treat culture” kept everyone sane. Apparently, one can put anything in a martini: tomatoes, pickles, apples, parmesan, or cotton candy. Frankly, I am afraid for 2025, though I have my eye on a few rising food fashions:
Quince: The culinary world loves a hyperfixation flavour, and quince deserves its due. The unassuming fruit is a mildly citrus-y take on an apple or pear. Its subtle floral nature lends itself well to pairings in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Fermented Seaweed: The wellness world is currently dominated by the likes of bone broth, sea moss gel, and Coconut Cult yogurt. Gut health has been a primary focus, and probiotic-rich fermented foods such as kefir and kimchi have been lauded as your stomach’s saviour. Recently, while perusing the shelves at Whole Foods, I discovered a new subject of fermentation: seaweed (by “new,” I mean “not yet pervasive on social media platforms”). Though I immensely enjoyed it myself, the seaweed does have a distinctly fishy taste that will inevitably bisect audiences; however, as seen by the aforementioned sea moss trend, the Wellness Girls are not easily dissuaded by otherwise-polarizing taste profiles.
Cow’s Milk: Gone are the days of alternative milk: soy, almond, and even oat milk have been the victims of cancel culture, with their supposed environmental and health-friendly claims to fame having been disproven in one way or another. We are on the precipice of a Dairy Milk Renaissance, with a few pioneering content creators proclaiming their preference for the bovine beverage, prompting others to make the switch (myself included). While cow’s milk was initially crucified for its environmental impact (the devastating effects of cow farts) and digestive distress (it’s not the cow’s fault that you’re lactose-intolerant!), the narrative has begun to flip, pointing out its superior protein and vitamin content. Some advocates have taken it further with the highly controversial rise of raw milk, for better or worse.
All Things Retro: Every industry dances with nostalgia in one way or another, and the food world is no exception. With Lana Del Rey’s help, Americana diners became an Instagram hot spot, while Taylor Swift (and a slew of other celebrities) brought fame to New York’s The Corner Store, whose menu cuts a high-and-low balance of haute cuisine (filet mignon, tuna tartare, compressed melon – whatever that is) and reworked standards (five-cheese pizza rolls, their take on a McDonald’s fry sauce, and a Girl Scouts-inspired Samoa sundae). I believe the trend towards the good ‘ol days shall continue; I’d like to see if Aspic will make a return.