Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/920426
34 maltatoday SUNDAY 31 DECEMBER 2017 This Week WHEN eating out, diners are constantly on the look out for the newest trends. They are a fickle crowd who are not loyal to one (or several) restaurant. In a market where restaurants close down as quickly as they start up, keeping up with what consumers want is imperative. Many local chefs are always on the look out for the latest trends and follow what is happening in the culi- nary trend-setting cities of the world, bringing the latest dishes to our shores. Here is what some local trend-setting chefs have to say. Seasonal and sustainable produce Perhaps the most prominent factor is that the consumer has become a lot more educated. The internet provides access to infor- mation which is leading the con- sumer to be more demanding in the products they are willing to consume, with an emphasis on seasonal products. Marvin Gauci, chef patron at perhaps Malta's most innovative fine dining restaurant, Caviar and Bull said, "As the food in- dustry continues to evolve, new trends emerge which determine what consumers should ex- pect to eat in the coming years. Health-conscious consumers are on the rise, and their dietary habits had an inevitable impact on the food industry and how it operates. This trend will con- tinue to persist in 2018 and we expect to see more eatery outlets favouring small menus focused on fresh seasonal products." Tommy Diacono, the brains behind New York Best and Fat Louie's also thinks that fresh, seasonal and sustainable pro- duce is being placed at the fore- front of eating habits. "2017 saw a string of intriguing pop up ini- tiatives here and there too, most with the aim of using more local, seasonal and sustainable pro- duce, we need MORE of these, many more." Rafel Sammut, owner of The Pulled Meat Company adds to this, pointing out that consumers are more curious about where their food is coming from and states that they are begin- ning to appreciate res- taurants that place more importance on sourcing seasonal, locally grown produce. "A more educated consumer means that they are more concerned about where their food is coming from. Working with local farm- ers, being involved in the diet and welfare of the pigs is something our clients continue to appreciate. Our farm to fork project ensures the quality consumers are coming to expect more and more." Health foods James Bartolo, executive chef at Radisson Blu Resort and Spa, Golden Sands has seen a rise in requests for healthier prod- ucts. "People have become much more aware and educated when it comes to their health and the food that they are consuming. We are expecting to see an in- creased demand for superfoods and health food in general." Meanwhile Gauci says that there is a growing interest towards natural ingredients, but with a colourful twist. Jimmy Aquilina, pastry chef at Radisson Blu Resort and Spa, Golden Sands says that people are becoming a lot more aware of allergens in food and this needs to be taken into consideration when chefs are preparing menus. "Guests have become much more aware of allergies and aller- gens in food and we only expect this to increase in the 2018. As a result we need to continue to be creative whilst keeping these dietary requirements in mind. Vegetarian and vegan foods Despite making his money from heavily meat-based dishes, Diac- ono believes that the future is in vegetables, "From a global stand point, the (food) trend-setting cities; San Francisco, London and New York, are most definitely leaning towards a more vegetable based diet, we're seeing an emer- gence of hot eateries that are com- pletely dedicated to a vegetarian agenda, not to mention the many exciting veg dishes that keep pop- ping up in already established menus, without being called 'veg- etarian' per se. Enter lab-made, vegetable-based burgers that bleed - the future, not much of a choice as factory farming is burn- ing the planet. Also there's a shift from beef to chicken burgers with names like Chicken fil-A, Momo- fuku and Shake Shack going all in on their chicken burger offer- ings." This is echoed by Gauci's thoughts on the matter where "vegetables are deemed the 'new meat' and it is expected that they will continue to reign next year. Indeed, 2018 is set to be a year of even more adventurous veggie and vegan cuisine." Reduction of waste Finding a use for every part of the produce being purchased is something these chefs all seem to think will carry over to 2018. Bartolo and Gauci both echo the same sentiment in that new ways of re-using parts of pro- duce that normally get thrown Rachel Zammit Cutajar Food trends set to take over the Looking forward to 2018, these are the food trends that some local chefs believe will shape the way we eat in Malta over the coming year Reduction of waste: Nose-to-tail butchery ensures none of the animal is wasted and every part is used Asian niche markets: More and more ramen is available on the market, in line with a Maltese fondness for Asian cuisine Trendy ingredients: Ruby chocolate, which is sweet with sour notes, is set to be on the trendy ingredient list for 2018