Food

The 2019 food and drink trends you need to know about

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Last year we saw the rise of miso, sourdough, modern Mexican food and the ever-versatile jackfruit.

2018 heralded the wave of meat-free eating, as more and more people turned to vegetarian and vegan alternatives – but whats going to be trending in 2019?

Waitrose has brought together the knowledge of their food and drink experts to study the data and predict the top foodie trends for next year.

Whether youre into fancy cocktails, eating out, fast food, or eating at home – theres a trend for every taste. Get ahead of the wave this year and find out what you need to be serving at your dinner parties in January.

Conscious Eating

As with everything in our lives, we are starting to rely on technology more and more to improve our culinary experience. And experts predict that Artificial Intelligence could soon inform the way we eat.

Through the use of algorithms, voice-recognition technology and the like, our phones, apps and smart watches will know more about what we should be eating than we will.

Confident businesswoman checking financial trading data with smart watch in city
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Its predicted that next year, more people will be using technology to receive accurate, tailored advice on what to eat, when to eat it, and how to look after themselves.

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Personalised dietary advice could soon be accessible to everyone, and it could help people to make smarter, conscious choices about healthy eating.

Ice cream

Its hard to think about ice cream in November – but we assure you, next year its going to big.

And were not talking about the humble 99 from your local ice cream van on the first hot day of the year. Ice cream is set to become a year-round treat with fancy parlours springing up all over the country.

Creators, inspired by the delights of Japan, will aim to make ice cream an unforgettable sensory experience. Marrying unusual flavours, textures and presentation for a truly Instagram-worthy dessert.

This year, ice cream sales smashed £1 billion in the UK alone, so it looks as though the resurgence of this childhood treat is just getting started.

West African Food

The culinary spoils of Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Mali are set to be the next big thing for 2019.

West African cuisine is spicy, vibrant and wholesome – and could usurp Indian food as the takeaway of choice in the coming months.

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As well as sniffing out your local West African restaurants, its probably a good idea to brush up on some of the techniques and try these dishes at home.

Loads of West African food are big, one-pot dishes, so perfect for preparing ahead of time and impressing your friends at a dinner party.

Bitter foods

If you love a negroni or an Aperol spritz, then youll already know the beguiling power of bitter flavours.

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Way less basic than its sickly counterpart, bitter is a sophisticated flavour that lends itself to deeply warming recipes and distinctive tastes.

High-cocoa dark chocolate and kale are already firm favourites, both fit in to this bitterness trend and could be set to become even more popular.

Another knack to create a more bitter flavour, is charring food over a naked flame, a technique that is being used in a rising number of trendy restaurants, so there will be plenty of places to get your bitterness fix.

Healthier cocktails

Continuing with the trend of wellness that has dominated 2018, cocktails next year are likely to be healthier, lower in sugar and often lacking in alcohol.

Vegan alternatives mean that everyone can enjoy a pisco sour, as more venues are swapping our egg whites for aquafaba – the water found in chickpea tins can be whisked to behave just like eggs.

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Alcohol-free options will be on the rise, which makes sense given that almost a third of 16-25-year-olds dont drink alcohol. Experts predict that although these drinks may be free of alcohol, they will have even more to offer when it comes to flavour.

Theres also likely to be a boost in savoury flavours next year. So expect your drinks to come with hints of beetroot and pickled onion, garnished with vegetable trimmings. Bring it on.

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