DATES
Back in 2019 trend experts were making predictions that dates would continue to rapidly grow in popularity and they were so right! It’s easy to see why dates are so loved; they’re a natural sweetener and while high in calories they are also high in fibre and antioxidants with a caramel like flavour.
Use as a binder in snacks spreads and sauces, Medjool dates are particularly great for making plant based caramels!
RE-USING NON-DAIRY MILK PULP
Non-dairy milks have become a staple part of the global diet over the past decade, but with that also come the by-products of these milk variants.
There is an increasing trend to re-use the
pulp leftover from milk production in other goods. These include oat pulp, almond, cashew and macadamia pulp etc.
Popular applications include substituting out some of the flour in cookie recipes which make for delightfully gooey results, using nut pulp to make bliss balls, and turning oat pulp into overnight oats.
KELP
More and more we’re seeing different types of seaweed coming onto the mainstream market, including kelp which is used in beauty products, tonics, smoothies and in savoury dishes.
Kelp is a large brown algae which grows in deep saltwater. It’s argued that kelp is a more sustainable crop since it requires no irrigation, fertilizer, herbicides or feed to grow.
Kelp is not only high in iodine which is essential for thyroid hormone production but also contains Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin B-12, calcium, iron and magnesium.
Kelp vs Seaweed
Seaweed is a generalised term which describes over 10,000 species which can be broken down into three groups – brown, green and red seaweed. Kelp is a more specific term describing one of these species coming under the brown category.
FORAGED INGREDIENTS
Foraging used to be a way of life for many and it’s been making a comeback in recent years. It’s especially trending for upscale eateries to include foraged ingredients on their menus.
These commonly include mushrooms, berries and natural syrups retrieved by tree tapping!
This way of doing things leaves room for a lot of creativity in the kitchen, with chefs having to figure out what to cook based on what they find.
A certain level of education is important to make sure you’re not collecting anything that is not safe to eat.
Source: Bidfood AU (appetiser magazine)