FOOD TRENDS 2019. TRENDS IN TASTE. We Italians are so in love with food that we talk about food even when we’re eating. No one as much as us appreciates the beauty of a table full of food, of a rich dish, of tomatoes boiling, of homemade tagliatelle, or a perfectly-cooked Fiorentina steak. We tell each other about our favourite restaurants, about local specialties, about the pizzeria that makes the most exquisite pizzas. We look for osterie, typical restaurants, because for us food is not just about eating. It is a pleasure that does our soul good. It’s also true that in recent years, as well as the happiness of our soul, we have also devoted attention to our health, leaning towards a more balanced, healthier diet, becoming more aware of the relationship between food and health. Because with food we can cure ourselves and improve our physical wellbeing. As consumers, we always read labels, we look at expiry dates, at where food comes from and we use our favourite browser to google different diets, alternative foods and compare our culinary experiences with those of other people every day. Like skilful explorers, we are broadening our horizons and we put food on the table that we would never have imagined until a short time ago. We use different flours, pulses and vegetables than usual and try out new dishes and flavours. And very often these innovations become an integral part of our diet. So, what innovations will 2019 bring in terms of food? The answer comes from two studies on food trends by Waitrose and Whole Foods Market, two supermarket chains, the first British and the second American, which create a classification of food trends that will come to the fore every year. Let’s take a look at them together. THE PEGAN DIET This is a diet that offers an unusual combination of Palaeolithic and vegan diets. It involves eliminating foods that have been transformed and industrially produced, as well as sugars, and substituting them with vegetable foods, full of protein and healthy fats. Meat can be eaten as long as it comes from sustainable, organic farming. Its characteristic feature is the attention given to where ingredients come from. The Pegan diet favours local production and organic food and is against chemical substances, additives and pesticides. Carbohydrates and sugars are reduced to a minimum. CHAYOTE A vegetable that recalls the flavour of a potato, but is more delicate. It looks like a large green-yellow pear, with firm flesh. It is widely eaten in Latin America, particularly in Mexico and Guatemala. It is full of antioxidants and is also used to make anti-ageing creams. OAT MILK An increasing number of consumers are eliminating cow’s milk from their diet, both for health and ethical reasons, and are substituting it with purely vegetable milks. Oat milk is top of the list of alternatives. It contains antioxidant substances and fibre that improves digestion. It is low calorie and can be used by those on a low-calorie diet. It has a sweet, delicate flavour and can also be used to make cakes. EXOTIC FLAVOURS Make way for longganisa, the pork sausage from the Philippines, for dried shrimp, tropical fruit like guava, passion fruit and dragon fruit. A super-sweet fruit extract called luo han guo, can be used as a sweetener to substitute added sugars. JACKFRUIT An enormous green fruit that can weigh up 50 kilos. It resembles a large, spiky melon. In Italy it is known as giaco and is an excellent meat substitute. It is full of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous and is gluten-free. In Asia it is eaten in many different ways: as chips, ice cream, in a stew, as a juice and even as flour, milled together with its seeds. HEMP The seeds of edible cannabis sativa can be used to make a flour with a wide range of beneficial properties. Already in 2018 hemp flour was used in pizza bases, bread, cakes, biscuits and mixed with other flours. It is an excellent thickener for puddings and soups, for flour-coating foods or as a protein additive in shakes. As it is completely gluten-free, hemp floor can also be enjoyed by coeliacs. One of its most interesting nutritional features is the presence of 8 essential amino acids. This makes it an excellent source of vegetable protein, perfect for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. NEW ICE CREAM FLAVOURS The 40th edition of SIGEP, the international artisan ice cream and patisserie trade fair, has just ended in Rimini, where it showcased lots of new features. Ice cream lovers looking for unusual and rather strange flavours can choose between aloe, ginger, elderflower, natural pistachio and quinoa, as well as rose and caramelised figs. We’ve served up the food trends for 2019. We often stress that the health of our hair and the beauty of our skin is the result of a healthy diet. Be aware of your food choices because your physical well-being and quality of life depend on them.