Maple, maple and maple
Maple syrup does the business year-round, but this December it’s won the race of the syrups, with searches rising 17% since last Christmas at Ocado alone.
Expect to see it as a sticky seasoning for veg, a glamorous glaze for meat and fish, and in drinks and sweets. And look forward to ‘swavoury’ combinations, too.
Donaghy sees it as an evolution of the very popular hot honey trend. “Maple is strongly associated with Christmas and found in many traditional dishes, but it works just as well as honey when combined with a little spice.”
If you fancy trying this at home with your roasties on the big day, pour maple syrup, clementine zest and juice, smoked paprika and sea salt flakes over roasting veg in the final 20 minutes of cooking time. Carrots, parsnips and swede are all fair game, too.
Dining and Cooking