9 food trends that need to end now, according to chefs, food lovers and food writers

Dalgona coffee. Banana bread. Fake meat. Liquid nitrogen to create smoke. Microgreens to make food prettier. The last few years have seen many new food trends sprout, but not all deserve to survive much longer. As the end of 2024 nears, we speak to chefs, food writers and general food lovers to find out which trends they think should be consigned to the dustbin of history before the new year. 1. Serving food on cutting boards, paper, shells, etc “I don’t like food served on anything but a plate,” says Kavita Rao, a food writer based in the UK. Many others in the food world echo this point, saying that wooden boards, tiles, pieces of slate and the like are simply attempts to make a dish look different – but all lack the simple ease of eating off a plate. There is even a popular website called “We Want Plates” that says it is on a “global crusade against serving food on bits of wood and roof slates, chips in mugs and drinks in jam jars”. It has over 1 million followers on social media, according to the website. 2. Gold leaf Edible gold leaf has been used by chefs for centuries and some people think that it can transform food into a work of art. But others like Raji Krishnan, an advertising professional in Kochi, India, think otherwise. “I just hate gold leaf on food. It neither enhances the taste, nor looks great. This is just a nonsensical addition that increases the cost but does not contribute to anything else.” 3. Digital menus Most people we spoke to hate everything about digital menus – a trend that exploded during Covid – from scanning QR codes to tiny food pictures to missing menu items. “It takes time and I hate scrolling to see the menu,” says Mahesh Sankaran, an IT professional in Chennai. “I would rather look at an old-fashioned printed menu that makes it easy to choose from.” 4. Displaying calorie counts Urmi Chakraborty, a travel enthusiast and homemaker based in Chennai, India, feels decidedly uncomfortable every time she picks up a menu to find a bunch of calorie numbers next to all the food she loves. “Allergy-inducing ingredients, I fully understand and endorse,” she says. “But the calorie counts stare me in the face and make me feel very guilty. It’s not like I’m eating out every day.” 5. Deconstructed cuisine and over-the-top plating The deconstructed cuisine trend – where the separate elements of a dish are presented in a stark, minimalist way – has been around for some time now, but not everyone is a fan. “Deconstructed food is one of my favourite peeves,” says Reem Khokhar, a journalist and dancer based in Delhi, India. “Why should I pay money to put together food that I have paid for? Why should I pay to eat a crumble of something rather than the whole combined dish? The whole point of a dish is to taste all its elements and not a dishevelled mess.” She also dislikes fancy, over-the-top plating. “Food can be plated aesthetically without these little swirls, blobs and drops of ingredients like sauces and garnishes, which we cannot even taste.” 6. Industrial design and communal seating Exposed fixtures and canteen-style seating are very much en vogue but many people say they feel like they are dining in a factory, instead preferring better quality interiors and lighting that convey a more comfortable ambience. “I hate restaurants that have paper mats, bare tables, no carpets or curtains,” says Delhi-based food writer Marryam Reshii. “Why are you copying McDonald’s in terms of bare-bones decor but not their pricing?” When it comes to communal dining tables where you have to sit next to strangers, most of the people we spoke to said that privacy was much more important when having a meal. 7. Literal smoke and mirrors Desserts set on fire, dishes covered in foam, activated charcoal in bread and ice cream – thanks to social media, food that looks unique has become all-important, but not everyone cares more about their social media accounts than their stomachs. “I hate science-experiment-like food where you have to crack something to open it, or a smoking dome that has to be opened to reveal something,” says Singapore-based designer Lavanya Rao. “I like my food simple and tasty without gimmicks. Instagram and social media are largely responsible for restaurants resorting to all these tricks.” 8. Single ingredients overdone “I dislike using a single ingredient without restraint like honey on everything or truffle on everything, without bothering if it matches the dish or cuisine or not,” says chef Romeo Morelli of Castellana Hong Kong. Many agree, especially when it comes to truffle – used in everything from fries to cheesecake to beer – and cheese toppings. 9. Con-fusion food Fusion food – which mixes elements from different culinary traditions to create unique and innovative dishes – is not new and can result in genuinely interesting meals. But at what point does fusion just become confusion? “Fusion is fantastic so long as it’s within reason,” says Sheetal Munshaw, a wine enthusiast and director for India at Atout France, France’s tourism development agency. “However, it sometimes is just fusion for fusion’s sake, marrying ingredients and styles that simply don’t go well together.”

9 food trends that need to end now, according to chefs, food lovers and food writers

Digital menus, calorie counts, deconstructed dishes, focus on a single ingredient among the pet peeves of 2024 that need an expiration date

1. Serving food on cutting boards, paper, shells, etc

2. Gold leaf