2023 Food Trends

Are you always on the lookout for the latest recipes? To make sure you’ve got a finger on the pulse of the hottest foodie trends, we’ve pulled together a few favourites you could – and should – roll out at your next big get-together.

Buddha bowls

Although the naming origins of the Buddha bowl are still debated, it’s safe to assume where the idea came from. In Thailand, orange-clothed Buddhist monks carry bowls through their villages and towns in the mornings, and locals will donate various foods as offerings to the enlightened Buddha. The result will be a good balance of grains, vegetables and proteins. On the other hand, some say the round bowl is simply a reference to Buddha’s famously round belly.

Either way, the artful and colourful presentation popular today, with isolated ingredients delicately spread around the bowl, is just the next logical step. Make your own with sliced and diced sweet potato, aubergine, spinach, avocado, radish, long-grain brown rice and a couple of soy-stained hard-boiled eggs. Serve with soy sauce and chilli flakes to taste. Try our buddha bowl recipe.

Jollof rice

Jollof rice is having a serious moment in the sun. Hailing from the Senegambian region of West Africa, the rice dish is comprised of spiced long-grain rice, veggies and an optional protein, like chicken or fish. It gets its name from the Wolof people in Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania.

The dish differs a bit from country to country, with some healthy competition reported between Nigeria and Ghana, called the jollof wars. To make your own, cook your rice with tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, ginger and chillies. And if you want to achieve a deeper red colour, add some tomato purée and stock cubes. Try our Jollof Rice recipe.

Croissants cubes

 While cronuts – the babies of croissants and doughnuts – enjoyed celebrity a few years back, it’s old news in 2023. Because a new star is shining in the patisserie world, and it’s shaped like a cube.

The cubed croissant can be served plain (like a normal butter croissant); piped full of a tasty sweet filling, or adorned with icing on top – a bit like a square cake. A London-based bakery found its place on the map when TikTok users got wind of their croissant cubes, and the many videos that followed had the nation’s mouths watering.

Swicy Korean street food

Korean food is all the rage right now. Swicy (sweet and spicy) street food is having a moment, in the form of appetisers, desserts and sides. What do you think about a hot sauce-strawberry jam combo atop fried chicken? Sticky, sweet and spicy all at once. Or perhaps you’d brave a chilli-infused chocolate souffle, dusted with cayenne pepper.

If your tastebuds are tingling at the very thought of a swicy treat, keep a lookout for yuzu, which is basically spicy honey. It’s quickly gaining popularity as a pizza-topping drizzle, with all the sweetness of a bumbling bee, and a biting sting to boot.

Butter boards

Canapés were due a reboot. Finger food has fallen out of favour. And charcuterie boards are old hats. The world, and TikTok, responded… with the butter board. If you’ve not heard of butter boards, it’s basically a chopping board covered with scoops of butter, seasoned with herbs, nuts, chilli or thinly-sliced fruits. The beauty lies in the serving, as guests can simply swipe their slice of bread over the butter board, and enjoy whatever’s on it – no plate required.

Got all that? All you need now is a date for the trendiest soiree of the year, featuring Buddah bowls, butter boards, and croissant cubes for desert.