Food & Restaurant Trends for 2010

Published: 26th December 2009


With the end of year drawing to a close, prophesies of new trends in foods and restaurants for 2010 start to emerge from around the world. Here are some collective trends that may or may not emerge in our region.


1. Online Food. The digital era has provided a new way of purchasing food and new opportunities for the small food manufacturers and distributors. Home deliveries of all foods are now possible as well as a growing trend in organic food baskets from community gardens. Online recipes are taking over from glossy culinary magazines.

2. Informality of Dining. Street dining, food markets and food vans. Some of the most authentic ethnic cuisines are available from these sources. In the USA underground restaurants are popping up illegally in houses.

3. Comfort Food. Seems to be a perennial favourite that has validity in the global economic downturn. A return to the prosperous ‘sixties’ lends comfort to the baby boomers with updated iconic menu items for more flavour (Prawn Cocktails never tasted so good).

4. Local Regional Foods. For reasons of freshness, minimal transportation, and supporting local communities and businesses, chefs are looking for relationships with producers, a story to tell, and a history of the regional foods on their menu. A menu that happily changes with the seasons, rather that sourcing food from afar for year round continuity.

5. Conscious Food. Ethical foods, sustainable foods, free trade products, organics and bio-dynamic and free-range produce. People also want to know where their foods come from, and with Country of Origin Labelling, consumers can make valued buying decisions.

6. Drinking Trends. Local produced micro-beers and spirits, artisan cocktails, relaxing drinks in place of hi-energy beverages. Savoury/culinary cocktails are becoming popular with concoctions that are more like a meal than a drink using vegetables, herbs & spices. Specialty teas and organic coffee.

7. Less is More. Joining the ‘cup cake’ revolution are mini desserts, mini burgers, amuse bouché, smaller quality snack and tapas style grazing food for healthier portion size and price. Also deconstructed, simple, minimal ingredient dishes cooked well .

8. Health Foods. Gluten-free/food-allergy conscious meals, anti-oxidant rich foods, away from hi-energy drinks "relaxation" beverages with herbs and other ingredients designed to actually relax you, with a resurgence of calming after dinner drinks.

9. New Ethnic Direction. Cuisines of Spain, Scandinavia and South America are following on from the trends of Africa, Middle East and Korea as well as the comeback of a simple French bistro.

10. Home Cooking with Flair. Expressing your inner chef. Experimenting with new and interesting ingredients. A strong trend for barbeques makes casual gourmet home dining easy and economical.

Celebration

Published: 19th December 2009

So we don’t have a grape wine industry! That hasn’t prevented some local enthusiasts from making wine from our luscious tropical fruits such as Lychee, mango, passionfruit, papaya and jaboticaba; to name a few. So much so, that this is the largest commercial fruit wine industry region in Australia.

What is interesting is that when you taste a grape wine such as Sauvignon Blanc; you can often taste the characteristic tropical flavours of pineapple, guava and passionfruit. When tasting fruit wine it’s a whole new adventure where these flavours are predominant rather than secondary, yet they still provide the same complexities of grapes. The challenge is to experiment. So go ahead and give our local fruit wines a try. Delicious by themselves - refreshing as a summer sprizter.

From fruit wine there has been an emergence of fruit liqueurs which are proving very popular. Where the big beverage companies produce melon, lychee, passion and mango liqueurs, we have the authentic product. Liqueurs taste great simply with ice, with mixer (soda) or as part of a cocktail ingredient. Try the De bruey’s Boutique Wineries Tropical Temptation (reminiscent of an Irish cream), that took out this years trophy for Best Liqueur at the Australian Fruit Wine Awards, or their Coffee Elixir or Strawberry Temptation. Mt Uncle has their Elixier de Muse Banana, Sanguis Mulberry and Davidson Plum Liqueur as well as Lemon & Lime Cello’s and Sexy Cat Marshmallow.

All these fruit wines and liqueurs make great Christmas gifts if you don’t drink them yourself.

Christmas Light

Published: 12th December 2009

Memories of my childhood Christmas’ were that it was always hot; with the soaring summer temperature boosted by the humble oven, heating the house to an unbearable degree. Only the aroma of turkey and ham, wafting from the kitchen could lend logic to the insanity of this tradition. Hours of sweltering until the Christmas faire arrived at the already heavily laden table and a feeding frenzy would follow, before retirement for an afternoon nap.

Now with more emphasis on gourmet food and cooking, the family and friends festive soirees have taken on the simpler, more casual (and cooler) format of the oven barbecue.

Smaller flavoursome birds such as marinated duck and stuffed quail are now on the menu, with barbecue pork loin, and plenty of seafood making a stronger presence. Whole red throated emperor or ruby snapper stuffed with Asian herbs and limes and bound in banana leaves, bakes magnificently in a BBQ oven. Simply throwing some skewered prawns or scallops on the ‘Barbie’ makes for a good starter.

That heavy traditional Christmas ‘Pud’ is now being replaced by lighter and cooler delicacies such as creamed mango or plum pudding ice cream and lots of fresh berries and tropical fruits and nuts. Christmas may have gone gourmet but certainly more casual.

Christmas Treats & Gifts

Published: 5th December 2009

Take a jar of Gagarra honey and Rainforest Bounty’s native fruit preserve; throw in a Spicez Curry Kit. Add a pack of Nucifora tea, Mareeba coffee, some exquisite Chocolate Sensation chocolates and a bottle of De bruey’s boutique fruit wine. Pack them into a recycled gift box with some tinsel and pretty tissue paper, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon. Voila! You have a great Christmas present for family and your ‘foodie’ friends.

Depending whether your budget is big or small, you can wrap up a simple gift pack of 2-3 items or an overflowing hamper of all things ‘delicious’.

So where do you find these treasures? Take a stroll around the Farmgate Markets at he Pier for the best range of local flavours; from conserves, pickles and sauces, dukkahs, rubs and herbal tea infusions to panaforte, brandy fruit cake and gingerbread houses, to name a few. All of which can be gift wrapped at the market. If you’re not that crafty or time is of the
essence, seek out Jill at Simply Hampers. She has a wonderful selection of foods, beautifully gift wrapped and can rrange for delivery anywhere in the world.

At The Edge Gourmet Deli in Edge hill, Loren has an extensive range of gift wrapped Australian and local gourmet foods and will package a hamper to your order. Here you will find plum puddings, shortbread, gingerbreads, confectionary and all things
Christmassy. Happy hunting & gathering!