Call Yourself A Real Foodie? Here Are 11 Food Trends For 2018 That Deserve Your Attention And Your Bite

Isn't food simply one of the best things about life? You're know you're a true foodie if that statement more or less defines your relationship with food. To top that, a new year comes with it own food trends, which means your taste buds have a new amusement park to head to. How could you possibly say no?

According to Whole Foods, mushrooms, edible petals and puffy snacks will take centre-stage. Tech, meanwhile, will play the role of the best supporting actor by playing around with flavours. And speaking of vegan, think '"bleeding" vegan burgers or sushi-grade "not-tuna" made from tomatoes.' Quite the reflection of changing times.

Also read: What Lunch Hour Is Like Around The World - In 14 Scrumptious Plates

Here comes the big bite:

1. Tacos shed their original skin

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Unseating the original is bound to create some hesitation. Some may find shell-less tacos a little messy but what's innovation without a little mess? ¡°Classic tacos aren't going anywhere,¡± and although the focus remains on hyper-authentic cooking, the wrappers and ingredients are showing signs of changing. Oh, and dessert tacos are a thing now.

2. Sushi croissants (or 'croissushi') and pasta doughnuts

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... and sausages with jams running through them -- these hybrids are the direct result of extreme fusion. BBC calls this the "food era of permissibility," and while some of these seem bizarre, remember this is a positive transition from simply wasting food to using food waste in your next meal. Besides, there's hope still in knowing that two of favourite dishes may meet one day on your dinner plate. Some of these babies found a mention in 2017 too, but 2018 will continue this trend.

3. Black charcoal martini

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Redemption Bar in London is already serving this one. This cocktail comes with activated charcoal that helps flush out toxins. Brilliant, one can say. Another 2016-2017 offering that finds strong footing in 2018.

4. Mushroom coffee

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According to Whole Foods, "functional mushrooms" will become so purely because of the role they'll play in 2018. Like playing a key ingredient in bottled drinks, soups, coffee, desserts. Not just that, they'll even find their way to your skin and hair products.

5. Floral flavours in your cuppa and upgraded bubbly

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If coffee can get a facelift why should the cuppa be far behind? You can expect major changes in your drinks menu. Whole Foods wants you to know that lavender lattes, elderflower cocktails and "rose-flavored everything" are going to stick around in 2018. Flavoured water, strictly non-soda, is also vying for your attention. Made from plant-derived ingredients, they're nothing like the canned drinks that are killing us daily.

Also read: 20 Dishes From India's Finest Restaurants That Need To Be Had This Minute!

6. "Puffed and popped snacks"

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Not wafers potato chips or crisps, but think "popped cassava chips, puffed pasta bow ties, seaweed fava chips, and puffed rice clusters," suggests Whole Foods.

7. You'll be eating technology, too

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Well, not literally. But it is tech you're going to have to thank for a bursting new kaliedoscope of flavours. Tech is currently manipulating plant-based ingredients and proteins to create more 'vegan' options. Don't frown because vegan will remain the way to go in 2018.

8. Speaking of vegan...

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Impossible Foods is startup parked in Silicon Valley is creating a vegetable substitute for meat, one that bleeds, and one which promises to imitate the succulence you find in a beef patty burger. Their plant-based ¡°heme¡± (Greek for "blood") also lends the 'meat' its pink hue. Believe it or not, quinoa and tofu might just end up replacing the patty in your burger.

9. Bone broth

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That said, we know you're going to stick to your meat. But 2018 sure has a plan for all those leftover bones. Enter, bone broth. Letting the bones simmer in water for sometime helps break down the collagen, nutrients, and other material from the cartilage and tendons. This little recipe helps you take in all the good glucosamine which prevents joint pain and arthritis. Something to look forward to.

10. Some root-to-stem cooking...

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And since we're all about healthier foods in 2018, it makes sense to hold on to your vegetables. By that we mean, picking up this little thing called root-to-stem cooking. Pretty self-explanatory stuff: rather than cutting off the leaves and stem from your vegetables, you keep them and make them a part of your meal. According to Whole Foods, "Recipes like pickled watermelon rinds, beet-green pesto or broccoli-stem slaw have introduced consumers to new flavors and textures from old favorites."

11. The Millennial Diet

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And since everything is about the millennials, why should this be any different. And, so, apparently, The Millennial Diet is turning out to be a thing. Owing to a growing awareness about the health benefits of different foods and perhaps also the realisation that we can't eat the same kind of food our parents did, millennials are leaning more towards a greener, more nutritious diet. That's not all that bad now is it?