New Oz Food Trends To Watch Out For In 2020!

2019 has been quite the year for the food scene in Australia and around the world. We’ve seen almost everything we love to eat and drink take on its goth phase with the addition of charcoal, molecular gastronomy with liquid nitrogen has infiltrated every dining establishment we know of and the avocado addiction is slowly wearing off. The last three years have been great for food, but with the turn of the decade slowly approaching, we know what’s coming.

Here are some of our predictions of Oz food trends to watch out for in 2020 and the upcoming decade:

1. Making it fancy

Elevating regular dishes with exotic ingredients

We’ve heard of truffles on top of everything- almost every gourmet dining establishment adds truffle shavings to make things better (and more expensive), but we’re thinking a little out of the box here!

One such ingredient is the tonka bean- so good. It’s popping up on menus all around Sydney- the Clearview Sydney Harbour lunch cruise does their spin on a tonka bean marquise beautifully. Absolutely safe to consume, this glass boat lunch cruise in Sydney makes a flourless chocolate sponge with a tonka bean ganache and tonka bean mousse, that is divine, to say the least! Other than this very popular Sydney glass boat lunch cruise, restaurants like Aria and Catalina also have dishes made of tonka bean on their menu.

2. Good Fat Loving

With the keto diet looming its head wherever you look, the hunt for newer fats ensues

Keto is the new Paleo. Remember when the paleo diet had us all eating like cavemen, quite literally?

Ghee is having its moment in the sun now, quite common in the Indian subcontinent, it has now become a global favourite! It’s made by simmering butter over a low heat for long enough. The milk solids end up caramelising- after which they’re strained and discarded leaving ghee goodness!

3. Meatless Mondays

Mainstream restaurants with numerous vegetarian and vegan options

Plant-based menus are blooming with several star restaurants serving a full vegetarian menu. Many people are consciously making the switch, even if it’s just for one day a week.

The replacement of meat and dairy with vegan alternatives made of nuts, soy, peas and jackfruit has ushered in a movement of its own.

Our favourite vegan joints in Sydney are Paperbark, Peppe’s and Yellow!

4. Meal Kits

Homemade meals, easier than ever before

Forget about asking the question ‘What’s for dinner?’ with a meal kit. You get all the properly measured out ingredients to prepare a gourmet meal at home- it doesn’t get easier than this! It’s ideal for those who are busy but still crave a home cooked meal and want the best. You get to customise your meal kit, choose the recipes you’d like to eat and just put it all together for a good stress-free meal!

5. Zero Waste Eating

Getting in on that environmentally friendly trend that’s good news for everyone!

Zero waste meals quite literally mean zero packaging, nothing processed and no waste. A few things that help are buying unpackaged foodstuff in bulk, make sure to carry your own containers.

Ultimately, if you try implementing a zero waste week, in practice, you’d realise exactly how challenging it is- and it is a dire need of the hour. We’re hoping, for the planet’s benefit, this trend is more than just a passing obsession. We hope it’s here to stay!

These may be the food trends that dominate the turn of the decade but we’re only just grazing the surface.

Charlotte Maxwell traverses the world during her free time, taking her to various exotic places, ticking off her travel bucket list one by one.