The way we consume food and what we consume is constantly undergoing a makeover. In the first week of 2023, we look at the flavours that may dominate the Indian palate. Food and travel writer Karen Anand helps us piece the food puzzle.
EMERGING TRENDS
Sushi is one of the top ordered food items of 2022 Shutterstock
Affordable sushi: “Japanese food is going to go big in 2023,” predicts Karen. “It is trendy and light and if it can be spread well by brands like Sushi and More then we’re going to see a lot more of it.”
If we look at the foreign flavours that started dominating the Indian palate in the last decade, it would be safe to say that we waited for Thai cuisine to conquer India but nothing happened, Asian sort of happened and Mexican never took off. French and Spanish are barely there and in Italian it’s mostly the pizza and pasta that does well. So we’re betting on Japanese and Korean food (blame it on the Kpop + Kdrama culture) and going by the data released by Swiggy, where sushi and Korean spicy ramen were among “the top most ordered videshi dishes”, it seems sushi is on a roll.
Regional food like curries is about nostalgia, says Karen Shutterstock
Nostalgic food: “I think home-style dishes will get popular but mainly linked with nostalgia,” feels Karen. In Masala Memsahib, one can see this reflected in home recipes of vindaloo, prawn curry and other home-style dishes. What about regional food? “Everyone’s talking about regional food but regional food is not sexy, it’s nostalgic,” says Karen. Abroad, however, it is different. “I find Indians going to Indian restaurants even abroad. In one of the London restaurants I did the menu for, called Colonel Saab, we have a Nadan Meen Curry (Kerala-style fish curry).”
Cookbooks are almost like heirlooms, with editions often passed down generations
Food books: Of the many books one may own, cookbooks are one of the most well-thumbed — passed down generations with each new owner of a Betty Crocker or Tarla Dalal churning out dishes laced with nostalgia. “Cookbooks, in particular, are selling very well,” says Karen. “In the UK, this has been happening for a while and it’s good to see people in India expanding their recipe repertoire.” The food writer further reiterates that even before her book Masala Memsahib was officially launched in November 2022, it had sold 1,000 copies. [Check out recipes from Karen’s book in this exclusive excerpt]. Nowadays, digital and ‘phygital’ cookbooks are also available. Vikas Khanna’s Sacred Foods of India was launched as an NFT (non-fungible token) in 2022.
TRENDS HERE TO STAY
Online ordering became a lifeline for the restaurant industry during the pandemic Shutterstock
Online food ordering: How the world ate changed dramatically during the pandemic as a result of which online delivery became a lifeline for the hurting restaurant industry. According to Swiggy’s annual food trends report, 1,00,000+ new restaurants and cloud kitchens joined Swiggy across the country. “The pandemic gave rise to a wave of people who ordered food and food products online. Even someone like me who never ordered online, did it,” says Karen.
QSR model: “The QSR model is here to stay; people will always want affordable, reasonable food,” says Karen. The Food Service and Restaurant Business Report 2022-23, by Francorp and restaurantindia.in, states that the Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) industry is estimated to be the highest-growing sub-segment - at 23 per cent CAGR - in the entire food service market over FY20-25. Some of the leading Indian QSR brands include Burger King, McDonald’s, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, Haldiram’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Adyar Ananda Bhavan.
TRENDS FADING OUT
Veganism as a lifestyle choice s not common in India where people are vegetarian because of religion or tradition, says Karen Shutterstock
Veganism: “I think the amount of attention vegan food is getting is not proportionate to the amount people are buying,” feels Karen. “In India, people are vegetarian because of religion or tradition, not because of health, while I find that people adopting veganism have serious health issues. I admire people like Dr Nandita Shah but with due respect I don’t think it's a new trend.”
