There’s no smoke without fire and this food trend is hot, hot, hot!
From smokey siracha and smoked pepper, mealtimes are being given an American BBQ-style makeover to create full-bodied taste profiles. It’s no longer just meat and fish rising from the ashes but fruit, vegetables, cocktails and even butter are being engulfed by the smoked food trend.
Research shows 32% of UK diners have said they’d be interested in seeing more smoked flavours on menus when eating in a restaurant or ordering a takeaway (Mintel, 2016). However, it’s not just restaurants that are taking up the trend to produce stand-out menus. Amazon have reported that sales of home smokers are up by 200%.
If you want to avoid the effort of home smoking, adding ingredients such as smoked paprika and smoked salt can add full-bodied elements to your dishes. Chipotle powder is another popular ingredient which can be added to sauces and marinades or used as a meat rub.
So whether you want to embrace traditional home-smoking methods or simply incorporate some delicious smokey ingredients, there’s plenty of ways to keep your dishes on trend this summer on and off the BBQ.