Out with the old and in with the new

Youth Month: Culinary trends on the rise with young consumers

LUTHO PASIYA

WHILE predictions are always uncertain, there are definite culinary trends that have emerged during the Covid-19 lockdown that point to where we are going and what young people are interested in eating. We spoke to S Pellegrino Young’s Chef Middle East Africa region winner, Paul Thinus Prinsloo, and chef de partie at The Restaurant at Waterkloof, Nelmari Zandberg, about culinary trends on the rise with young consumers right now and their observations follow.

Zandberg’s top trends

• Less wastage and support for the locals

Chefs will be more cautious about their wastage and try to reuse as much as possible. Also, supporting local producers for ingredients rather than importing to be more cost-e ective and help each other out. This initiative will last for a while, until the industry is back to normal.

• Fermentation and artisan cooking

One of the most trending topics on social media is artisan bread, especially sourdough. As a trend, fermentation cooking has been growing in the past few years and will still be part of the food trends for many years. It’s something that not everyone understands, but the basic steps can be done at home. Many people have been doing research and trying out fermentation cooking and baking their own bread.

• Private cheffing and upmarket take out

Restaurants have introduced an option to fine dining that being catering for the people who want to support them but don’t want to sit in the restaurant and eat. Another option is private chefs who are prepared to cook your three to four course meal in the luxury of your home. It may be a trend that sticks around for a short period of time, but it will certainly be part of the food trends.

Prinsloo’s top trends

Prinsloo said we can expect a lot of new trends to come and go while people are out and enjoying themselves again. • Everything fish (fin to tail)

Ever since Josh Niland released his book, The Whole Fish Cookbook, people have been inspired by his methods on how to use the whole fish, such as ageing and fish charcuterie. One of Cape Town’s local fisheries, Southern Cross Seafood Deli, started aging their own fish and it is something that South Africans are not used to. So for young consumers, I think it’s something worth trying and a trend that’s here to stay for a long time.

• Plant-based and healthy eating

People are going to be even more careful about what they eat than ever after the pandemic is over. So healthy eating and substituting animal products for plant-based products will be stronger, especially among the younger generation who are already so cautious when it comes to eating. And it will become a lifestyle, rather than a food trend shortly.

• Simplicity is key and expect the unexpected

This can go two ways: either bold flavours, crazy combinations, and interesting pairings or classic food with a twist. However, keeping the plate as clean as possible will be a key factor for both, using a few ingredients and perfecting them rather than presenting a big full plate with many flavour profiles.

Either way, there are many chefs who are happy to be cooking again, and those talented minds have had a lot of time to think of new dishes. How long of a trend this will be I don’t know, but eating out will be one of the many social activities that people are relishing.