2021 promises to be another exciting year in the culinary world, as some new trends sweep in to change the way we cook and eat. The following are some of the fresh ideas that we could look forward to seeing this year.
Virtual Cooking Classes
2020 saw Zoom cooking classes become popular all over the planet. The signs are that this will carry on growing in 2021, with more people learning how to cook without leaving home. It seems likely that the growing demand leads to classes being offered in different niches, such as recipes featuring unusual ingredients and those with an organic focus. This would tie in nicely with the move towards other traditional habits moving online. From virtual wine tastings to live-streamed fitness classes, a lot of the things that we wouldn’t have dreamed of doing at home can now be done in this way.
Another example comes from the online casino industry, with VegasSlotsOnline pointing out that free casino table games like American roulette or blackjack can now be played online. Sites like this are useful due to how popular online casinos have become. They also confirm that lesser-known casino games such as pai gow poker and sic bo can also be played on a virtual table, on sites such as Jackpot City and Dunder Casino. The move online has led to a bigger selection of slots than was previously available, and something similar could see the range of cooking classes growing and diversifying too.
The Search for Better Nutrition and Immune System Boosts
Easy access to online information means that more people are aware of the properties of different types of food. According to the Today site, 2021 will see interest grow in the likes of postbiotics and microgreens. As well as these previously obscure ingredients possibly going mainstream, we could see renewed interest in the traditional use of healthy foods that have fallen out of favour. The return of healthy, filling comfort food using classic ingredients was a feature of 2020 that seems like to continue this year, with shoppers heading to places like the Lakewood Village Farmers Market for fresh ingredients.
Among the new ingredients that our quest for healthy food could lead us to this year is seaweed. Fresh kelp has long been popular in some parts of the world like Japan, but 2021 could be the year that it finally reaches new markets in Europe and North America. Rich in calcium and vitamins, it is also extremely sustainable and some studies have even suggested that introducing it to our diets could help deal with global climate change, as kelp farms have been shown to take carbon and nitrogen out of water.
This dual benefit of eating more healthily and helping the planet could see other foods become more widespread too, with the WWF and Knorr working together to identify the Future 50 Foods to diversify our diets. The key to this change is the fact that three-quarters of the world’s food supply comes from just a dozen different plants and five species of animals.
The Changing Use of Technology
There has been a growing trend for avoiding technology, as we look to go back to our roots for a healthier, more natural way of eating. Many people try their best to avoid food that has been cultivated through the likes of fertilisers and pesticides, while there has been a backlash against intensive farming that crams animals together in small spaces to maximise the output per square metre.
However, not all technology is harmful and in some cases, the latest advances can help us to produce more and healthier foods. For instance, artificial intelligence has been used by Perfect Day to create a completely vegan alternative to dairy protein. The European food industry has over 30,000 robots working to meet the ever-increasing demand and produce a greater level of output without compromising worker safety. 3D printing has been talked about as a possible game-changer for several years now, and 2021 could be the year that it goes from being a gimmick and becomes a genuine option for creating exciting new foods.
With these changes on the cards, 2021 could turn out be the year in which our attitude to the food we eat changes for the better. No matter what your culinary interests are, it is set to be a year for keeping an eye on the latest developments.