These 8 food trends from 2021 we’d love to keep this year
We recently wrote about the food trends of 2022, but there are also a few trends from 2021 that we at the editorial team just can’t get enough of. We’d love to keep these trends from last year in 2022.
Sando sandwiches: arigatoo!
FavorFlav’s Sharon: In everyday parlance, they’re also called Japanese ‘sandwiches’, but that really doesn’t do these fantastic sandwiches justice. The bread used for these sandwiches is made from incredibly airy milk bread (FavorFlav’s Sabina once tried making it and it wasn’t easy: baking bread is no child’s play to begin with, but this recipe for the perfect Japanese milk bread is truly advanced-level baking), and the filling is so delicious that your slice of cheese and ham pales in comparison… Take the Tamago Sando; this seemingly simple Japanese sandwich with a soft-boiled egg and egg salad made from hard-boiled eggs has everything to fall in love with. Make your own Tamago Sando with this recipe. Good luck!
Michelin-starred chef in your own kitchen
FavorFlav’s Vincent: something I’d love to keep: high-end food delivery. From top restaurants and quality products that we can cook with at home. This really took off in 2021, but it’s a brilliant invention that should stay as far as I’m concerned. Delicious food at any time of day, wherever you are. I haven’t been to a supermarket in almost a year, and I’d love to keep it that way!
Dinner in a box
FavorFlav’s Sabina: it’s a disaster that restaurants are closed, and annoying that we can’t eat out. A silver lining: those delicious takeaway dinner boxes restaurants make. We had another one at Christmas that was finger-licking good. All kinds of containers and bags in one big box, with a lengthy set of instructions. For the starter: container 1 with bag 1, drizzle with the dressing from bottle 1, then decorate with the green sprigs from jar 1. Wonderful! And delicious! And that’s how we cobbled together five courses. I hope restaurants can open again soon, but that these kinds of dinner boxes stay, because it’s incredibly relaxing to eat out at your own kitchen table and enjoy food that’s so good, delicious and surprising.
Fries – next level – with toppings
FavorFlav’s Adeline: Loaded fries! Goodness gracious, how delicious. I was never particularly tempted by plain fries with sauce (I’m a bit of a snob that way), but since the entire kitchen inventory has been piled onto fries, I’ve become a happy woman. Grated Parmesan, homemade truffle mayonnaise, stew simmered for hours. I absolutely love it. And yes, the fact that I’m using both “fries” and “French fries” here is to confuse you. Tip: the loaded fries from Sergio Herman.
Alcoholic walks
FavorFlav’s Wieke: even though the hospitality industry is reopening, I propose that some alcohol-related situations simply remain. Such as walking with mulled wine or cocktails. Quite a good combination of getting some exercise, catching up and having a drink at the same time. A win-win situation, really, so I’m happy for this to stay. Also nice this year: day drinking and Sunday brunch (again: with lots of booze).
Fish-free fish
FavorFlav’s Bo: last year, in the wake of meat substitutes and documentaries such as Seaspiracy, more and more fish substitutes also appeared on the market. I haven’t tasted any truly delicious ones yet, but now that the market is slowly but surely being flooded, I’m expecting a lot from them; the range of plant-based fish substitutes is growing, from fake fish fingers to imitation tuna (made, for example, from pea proteins and algae). I’m happy to cast my line this year.
So, let’s duncheon
FavorFlav’s Delilah: besides dinner needing to return ASAP, duncheon. Not the prettiest word linguistically, but it does cover the idea. And the fact that in the Netherlands you’re finally no longer looked at strangely when you order a glass of wine at 1 p.m., and that you can now order the most delicious restaurant dishes all afternoon: love it. It will only be a bit complicated to find staff for two full shifts if restaurants are allowed to open in the evenings again…
Everything on a board
FavorFlav’s Lauretta: I found everything on a board very, very delicious last year. So not just cheese and charcuterie, but especially the hot chocolate board, the dessert board, pancakes on a board, nachos and, of course, my all-time favorite: the fries board. Planking, please, in 2022 as well!
Image: Frites Atelier © Chantal Arnts
