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Bored of lobster? Had enough of quinoa? Eaten so much kimchee that you’ve turned orange? Fear not – 2016 has brought with it a whole new set of food trends – it’s time to jump on the bandwagon.
Boozy sweets
You may think you had your fill of boozy sweets at Christmas (I’m still eating some of mine for breakfast), but you need to make room for more because they’re big this year. Smith & Sinclair are leading the way, creating edible cocktails with over 32 different drinks brands. Stocked in Harrods, Harvey Nichols and Selfridges, these adult ‘penny sweets’ are free from preservatives, dairy and gluten – could they be more on-trend if they tried?
Lasagnancino
Novelty balls are always fun, and this time it’s lasagna and arancini that are getting a fusion. Served up in such accessible London spots as Vico, Arancini Bros and Pizza Locatelli, lasagnancino consist of layers of egg pasta, beef ragu and mozzarella, all wrapped up in a crispy fried risotto ball.
Pigs' ears
If you’re looking to be really freaking trendy this year, just nibble on a pig’s ear. Nose-to-tail dining has been popular for quite some time, but it's the ears that are currently popping up on rather a few menus. For proof, check out, St John’s pig-ear salad and the crispy pigs' ears at Duck & Waffle.
Cauliflower
Farty cauliflower is firmly on the menu this year, so you’d better get used to it. In fact, it’s been regularly declared the ‘new kale’ over the last few years, so there’s no avoiding it. You can enjoy yours chargrilled at Mildreds, crunchy at Hush Mayfair or charred at Berber & Q. Also look out for cauliflower flour, a wheat-free alternative that’s being used in breads and cake.
Vinegar-based drinks
Vinegar is regularly touted as an aid to health; apple cider vinegar apparently lowers blood sugar and balsamic is believed to be great for the heart. Now it’s appearing in cocktails, especially at The Shrub & Shutter in Brixton. Their shrubs (syrups made from vinegar, fruit and sugar) form the base of some pretty imaginative cocktails, and include toasted peanut shrub, juniper and black pepper shrub and garlic and thyme shrub.