Everything You Wanted to Know About These 10 Food Topics in 2020

Well folks, Google has spoken: these are the food-related questions you were burning to find out about over the past year! From baking bread to gnocchi (really?), these were the things you had to figure out in 2020. And luckily, we were able to help you on many fronts, with heaps of tips & tricks and recipes answering these pressing questions. We learned from them too. Take a look!

There are some surprises, but also plenty of familiar topics in the list Google released of what was trending in the Netherlands in 2020. Yes, many of you wanted to know something about Marco Borsato, but unfortunately we can only help with that once he writes a cookbook. But baking bread, not ruining spinach or the other things on the list of the 10 most searched baking and recipe terms—we know what to do with those…

Baking bread

It was hardly surprising that this search term peaked in March 2020. That was when we all suddenly found ourselves stuck at home, seeking comfort in things we could do with our hands and preferably eat too. The newbies made beginner’s mistakes, while more experienced home bakers learned to bake bread like a pro. But for many people, a thick slice of toast or freshly baked bread with a smear of the very best butter was probably an ultimate moment of small-scale happiness.

Cooking cod

For some people, cooking fish is still something they would rather avoid. Because: burnt fish, smelly fumes, all the hassle you may be afraid of. It also depends on whether you bought fish with the skin on or off, but with these tips on how to cook fish with the skin on perfectly, you’ll get a long way. And otherwise, the oven is your friend, because it’s almost impossible to go wrong in there! Like with this parsley cod or another fish bake.

Baking cake (and apple pie)

Yes, this was naturally right in line with that craving for comfort food. A cake, and especially an apple pie made from your mother’s recipe, was one of the best ways to make this stupid year a little brighter, and we baked away with gusto. A big hit on FavorFlav was a gorgeous meringue pie with red fruit, but the individual apple pie also made many people happy.

Cooking pork tenderloin

The nineties seemed to be enjoying a brief revival, because pork tenderloin isn’t exactly something we would expect to be searched for much these days. But apparently it was, and luckily we were able to dig up this old favorite for you: marinated pork tenderloin with harissa…

Asparagus

Naturally, this search peaked during asparagus season—roughly from mid-April to mid-June. But it was so massive that the numbers counted for the entire year. We wrote an article about why asparagus makes your urine smell, but of course there were also plenty of delicious recipes. Such as this creamy asparagus risotto! And green asparagus is available almost all year round, so you can make the tastiest pasta primavera with it.

Gnocchi

This surprised us! You were curious about this all year long, and of course we understand the appeal of those delicious, airy little potato-and-flour pillows. We’re not entirely sure whether everyone started kneading and crafting their own, but this recipe for making gnocchi yourself should do the trick. Or make Vjeze Fur’s gnocchi with ‘pepoen sauce’, or simply buy them ready-made for the easiest gnocchi with bacon and peas.

Scones

Scones also managed to pique your curiosity this year. We get it. Those delicious British bakes, somewhere between a little cake and a bread roll, are ideal all day long: from breakfast to afternoon tea. With this recipe, you can make perfect scones yourself.

Pointed cabbage

Pointed cabbage?! Nice! Essential in gado gado, satisfyingly firm in a crunchy salad with cashews and sesame, but also delicious from the oven or grill when quartered lengthwise, rubbed with plenty of oil and sprinkled with salt and spices.

Spinach

Yep, spinach also received a great deal of attention from you. Perhaps it had something to do with seeking balance after all those months of emotional eating and drowning our sorrows in rum and Cokes and litres of wine. We wanted to be and stay healthy too, so kilos of spinach were brought in. In autumn, the weather also suddenly became extremely changeable, resulting in a real spinach shortage. Luckily, you could still rely on that familiar frozen spinach—and let’s be honest, a bowl of comforting creamed spinach was something you could use this year, right?

Those were the most trending baking and recipe search terms you looked up in 2020. Here’s to 2021: luckily, a new year! Hopefully with lots of enjoyment in cooking and eating again, plus the occasional drink. Cheers in advance!

Read also:

• Russian New Year’s brought forward because of coronavirus
• Why McDonald’s is taking off like a rocket despite coronavirus
• Strange coronavirus eating habit: snacking in the car