At the start of a new year, predictions are invariably made.
“Pistachios are in, hazelnuts are out,” I hear on a podcast on the BBC, while assembling a simple tray bake for dinner. It’s said with the conviction of a seer. Sauvignon Blanc is out, Bacchus grapes are back. Honey: out; peanut butter: in. Flavored gin: in the bin; creamed liqueurs are here! “Swicy” — sweet and spicy — is the new “swalty,” we’re told, as everyone looks for the next salted caramel. Who knew? I inspect my simple tray bake — chicken and chickpeas, potatoes and peppers: It’s familiarity, it’s timelessness. It seems almost quaint.
Predictions used to be something of a hunch, everyone’s best guess about what would take off in a given year. People traveled back and forth, saw something on television, read the latest cookbooks or looked things up online. Trends churned, at least to my mind, a bit more slowly.
Today it all spreads far faster, mostly on social media platforms. Somebody eats somewhere, and before you know it, a line forms around the corner. A dish, a diet, a tool can suddenly go viral and be seemingly everywhere. An air-fryer is great, I have no doubt, but what about the toaster?
When it comes to cooking, the internet can be a limitless source of information, but this sense of endless choice can be misleading. What you’re seeing amplified by the algorithm is just a very small number of dishes of the many, many in the world.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.