The Yummiest Trends That Rocked 2023

Ishita Gupta

The Yummiest Trends That Rocked 2023

Another year has passed with fresh flavors, innovations, and food disasters doing rounds on the internet, but one thing remains constant, which is the love we have for food that passes from generation to generation. In every container of love, there's a lineage of comfort, passion, and story that we admire.

Year of Millets; Source: One Green Planet

Even though 2023 feels like it went in a flip of a page, in the culinary world, India was able to expand its endeavors and be more visible abroad, all the while reconnecting with our roots. Be it through the weirdest fusions from creators on social media, exquisite culinary ventures, viral food trends, or securing an impressive 11th position out of the 100 ****Best Cuisines in the World, Indian food can never be written off from history.

We don't like to keep this waiting but did you know that the UN recognized 2023 as the International Year of Millet after tireless efforts of the Indian government in promoting its nutritional values and expanding the popularity it has gained worldwide?

But what's with millets, though? It's among the first crops to be domesticated on the Indian continent with several pieces of evidence pointing to their consumption during the Indus Valley civilization. Believe it or not, history does make things better. Hence, ThisDay 2023 Rewind offers you one last meal as we cap off this year's foodie festival.

This year, East met West, and North met South as culinary borders blurred with dosa pizzas topped with tandoori chicken, pani puri filled with guacamole, Gulab Jamun ice creams, and sushi rolls infused with fragrant Indian spices. Yeah, we still cannot believe these but innovative fusions like these did challenge our palates and helped us in redefining comfort food and appreciate India's diverse regional cuisines. However, traditional dishes that took the limelight ranged from the fiery Chettinad curries of Tamil Nadu to the delicate momos of the Northeast. Clearly, diners in India crave for unique flavors of each region – the possibilities were endless!

Even at ThisDay, we led some of the best collaborations with our storyteller and learned about food and its history. Our craving in the months of food delight took us from the Afghan Colony of Lajpat Nagar to the Tea Estates of Borakhpur. If that wasn't enough, we delved deep into the fermentation practices that prevail in different parts of the country, intersecting food, culture, and society.

Negligent the foodie in us will never die. Still, this time, it went far for Suresh Raina, former Indian Cricketer and Chennai Super Kings star, and now a restauranteur who was compelled to open his new venture named Raina in Amsterdam and showcase his love for cooking to the world. Also, how can we forget the historic India vs Pakistan match during the World Cup when 250 Biryanis were ordered per minute? I don't know what is it that Indian loves more, Biryani or...obviously! Biryani.

As far as Indian restaurants in foreign lands are concerned, it was yet another impressive accomplishment for Indian chef Garima Arora, with her exceptional culinary skills and amazing team at her restaurant Gaa in Bangkok, to receive a second Michelin star. Indeed, it is a celebration in the world of fine dining, but what beats the chart is when Butter Naan enters the Top 10 club of Best Dishes In The World, followed by Murgh Makhani, Tikka, and Tandoori in the Top 50, as listed by the Tasty Atlas.

As the menu seems sorted for our New Year's Eve, let's look back at some wholesome moments when we simply adored Chef Vikas Khanna decorating a cake for a retiring crew member, all while traveling on an Air India Flight. While social media became a delectable melting pot of food trends, how can we forget the quirky challenges that kept us engaged?

Bite-sized videos showcased mesmerizing food art, quick and easy recipes, and playful challenges like the "tortilla trend" where users tossed ingredients onto a tortilla and folded it with lightning speed, and ASMR cooking videos with soothing sounds and mesmerizing visuals captivated viewers all around the world. Even the comfort food reigned supreme, with regional specialties taking center stage.