Taste is often very subjective. One person’s delicious combination is another’s kryptonite. However, if you consider yourself an adventurous foodie – someone that likes trying new flavors and sampling different cultures – 2018 could be an exciting year for you. There are a string of unusual flavor combinations winging their way into popular culture right now and this article is designed to shine a light on the weird and wonderful snacks and dishes that are already making waves in 2018.
Mushroom-infused coffee
In recent years, various types of mushrooms have been incorporated into dietary supplements in a bid to improve immune systems and increase levels of antioxidants inside the body to ward off infection. This year, mushroom varieties are working their way into hot drinks such as coffee. The likes of chaga, reishi and cordyceps are being infused into fresh coffee to create a new fungus drink that offers the same caffeine boost whilst regulating sugar levels and blood pressure.
Sweet cheese pastries
Some people wrongly assume that Greek dishes are mainly all about savoury flavours, from moussaka to mezes. However, we’re here to tell you different. In fact, Greek desserts are making a splash thanks to these Cretan sweet cheese pastries called Kaltsounia. These rolled dough pastries are filled with myzithra cheese and topped with honey and cinnamon. Available both fried and baked, they are a surprisingly indulgent treat, with the cooling soft myzithra combining wonderfully with the sweet honey and fragrant cinnamon. Perfect with a cup of mushroom-infused coffee, perhaps?!
Unicorn snacks
Sparkly, pastel-coloured treats are becoming the norm in 2018. The unicorn food craze is well and truly upon us. Starbucks has been credited with accelerating the unicorn food trend, due largely to their sweet and fruity unicorn-coloured iced drink, complete with extra-sour blue powder. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll love the magical, sugary flavours of unicorn-coloured snacks.
Hot and spicy sweets
For many years, spiced tamarind candied sweets have been in existence, but only recently have the biggest sweet brands in popular culture experimented with sweet and spicy flavours. Sweet Heat Skittles and Starburst have since reached our shelves and we were super-excited to try them. While you can taste the same fruity flavours with each chew, there’s a slow, lingering heat that develops the more you eat. It’s frankly bizarre but unexplainably appealing!
Cheese tea
If you’re looking for a new avant-garde beverage to devour this summer, look no further than cheese tea – yes, you read it right. Coming from the streets of Taiwan, cheese tea has since become a global phenomenon on food stalls in south-east Asia and more recently New York. Combining refreshing iced tea with an interesting topping of whipped cream cheese, it’s not too dissimilar to a frappe, with cream cheese used instead of milky froth. If you like cheese and you like tea, you’ll almost certainly like a cheese tea!
That’s just the tip of the iceberg of all the weird and wonderful flavour combinations we’ll devour this year. Food fads are becoming increasingly big business and if you’re brave enough to try them, you’ll soon see what all the fuss is about.
