Top 5 Food Trends of 2021 Recap

By Nurul Izzah Saifuddin | 23, Dec, 2021
Top 5 Food Trends of 2021 Recap

Food has long held a significant place in people's lives all throughout the world. It emphasizes cultures, brings people together, and generally contributes to our well-being.

Without a doubt, food trends vary continuously, it is especially more prominent during this pandemic. As the year draws to an end, let's take a look back at the Top 5 Food Trends of 2022!

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1. Squid Game's Dalgona Candy Challenge
Squid Game Dalgona Candy Challenge

Image Credit: Sharon Hahn DarlinCC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A huge highlight in 2021 - taking both the internet and world by storm, is none other than the renowned series on Netflix, Squid Game!

Squid Game is a series where hundreds of contestants accept an invitation to compete in various children's games, in exchange for an enticing cash prize. However, there is a huge twist to it.

Despite the many childhood games that the players in Squid Games had to face, the ones that definitely caught the eyes of many were particularly the "Red Light Green Light" and Dalgona Candy game.

Dalgona (달고나) is a honeycomb-like candy made with melted sugar and baking soda. Although the candy has been around for quite some time, it slowly became a disappearing traditional trade for South Korea. However, the breakthrough of the series aided in the resurgence of the confectionery's popularity and thus assisted in growing sales for Dalgona.

You may have also heard the term "Dalgona" from the famous Dalgona Coffee trend in 2019. Nonetheless, the trend has since died down with the original candy now being an emerging competitor.

Since the series was released, the Dalgona candy game became extremely popular with many Tik-Tokers hopping on the challenge. Many cafés are also jumping on the bandwagon and making use of the series to implement unique menu items - attracting many fans of Squid Game.

You should definitely hop on the trend if you have not played the game yet!

 

2. Baked Tomato & Feta Cheese Pasta
Baked Tomato & Feta Cheese Pasta

Image Credit: Baked Feta Pasta Recipe on Delish

The ongoing pandemic has left many people at home to kill time by experimenting with foods that are fast and easy to make. You can definitely find many of these recipes on TikTok. However, one recipe that blew up on the platform was the Baked Tomato & Feta Cheese Pasta!

The recipe is so popular that grocery stores in Finland ran out of Feta Cheese! If you are looking for something that is super simple to whip up, this is the perfect recipe for you - compromising of mainly cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, olive oil, and pasta of your choice.

Since this recipe is also meatless, it is perfect if you are a Lacto vegetarian or have friends/family members who are too.

You can find the full recipes and various renditions on TikToks, or you can also try out the recipe from Delish!

Feel Good Foodie's Baked Feta Pasta on TikTok

 

3. The Rise of Home-Based Businesses
Home Based Businesses

Image Credit: @the.wall.flour on Instagram

Due to the uncertainties that the pandemic could bring to different jobs, it has threatened the livelihoods of many and thus they are left to look for alternative sources of income, causing a surge in the number of home-based businesses.

Home-based business owners in Singapore started selling pretty much everything from desserts like tarts, traditional kuehs to handmade crafts like resins, mask straps, and many more. Some home-based businesses also carry things that are unique and cannot be found in bricks and mortar.

With Covid-19 hitting many businesses hard, it is also crucial for us to start supporting our local businesses to help them tide through this pandemic.

If you would like to #supportlocal home-based businesses in Singapore, we have many articles compiling various home-based businesses you can support here.

 

4. The Plant-based Meats
Impossible Burger

Image Credit: Impossible Burger on IMPOSSIBLE Foods

Catering more towards vegetarians and vegans and also those who prefer a flexitarian diet, the rise of new plant-based meat replacements has hit the market globally and slowly becoming mainstream.

There are many brands in the market that have already hopped on the plant-based foods you can try which are also Halal certified:

  1. IMPOSSIBLE Foods: They provide a wide range of halal-certified plant-based meats like their Impossible Ground Beef which you can use to make burgers, meatballs, and more!
  2. CP Foods: CP Foods also came out with Meat Zero Plant-Based foods from chicken nuggets and patties to bologna and instant foods like spaghetti bolognese.
  3. Swensen's: If you are just starting to venture into the plant-based diets and do not know where to start, check out the Impossible Burgers by Swensens! They have three different types - Rendang, Garlic Aioli, and Mushroom Impossible burgers which you should definitely try.

Plant-based meats are entirely made from plants and it is just as tasty, healthy, and versatile as normal meat and in fact, it is also known to be better for the planet as it not only saves meat but the creation process of plant-based meats also requires less water, land, and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

5. Quick and Easy Quesadillas
Quick and Easy Quesadillas

Image Credit: Viral Quesadilla Cooking Hack on Real Simple

At the beginning of 2022, a really popular game-changing hack went viral on the internet showcasing a new and easier way to enjoy quesadillas!

The hack involves cutting a side of the tortilla wrap, adding three to four fillings of your choice. With the strategic cut to the wrap. you are able to wrap the tortilla in itself and thus giving you a quick and mess-free quesadilla!

It is an extremely easy hack especially if you are looking for something that is simple, delicious, and really fast.

If you are looking for recipes to spice up your quesadilla game, there are many delicious variations of the delicious goodness on TikTok for your inspiration!

Feel Good Foodie's Quesadilla Hack

 

Final Bites

Food trends are continuously changing, and now with the presence of TikTok where people are able to share their creative ideas/hacks, it is happening faster than ever. Before you know it, we might even start normalizing printing food!

Now that you know some of the food trends in 2022, you can start supporting more businesses, try out new methods to enjoy your food, or even come up with a completely new trend!

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