The rise of food blogs: Not everyone is a Master Chef but let’s admit it, that most of us worth our biryani have dreamt of making it big on a reality TV food show. With the rate at which food blogs are mushrooming in the country, almost everyone is a chef de cuisine! These bloggers have a world of their own and have even moved into the offline sphere with regular meet-ups and food crawls.
Going local: Locavore food and the 10-mile diet are all set to crown themselves the diet trends of the coming year. Both these emphasise on the importance of consuming local food and propagate local produce in an effort to reduce carbon footprint.
At a click: Online shopping for not just exotic spices and ingredients but even groceries used in everyday meals are going to lead the way in 2012. With the convenience of online shopping and the restrictions imposed by increasingly busy lifestyles, online shopping is the solution for those looking for a healthy, home-cooked meal to balance their stressed out lifestyles.
Food with sound: Another dimension to the world of cuisine is incorporating the sense of hearing. Like renowned chef Heston Blumenthal’s Sound of the Seas, a signature dish where one needs to plug in an iPod and listen to the sounds of the sea while relishing an exquisite sea food dish, experts predict that ‘food which sings’ is all set to intrigue diners in the coming year.
n Downsizing the dessert: It is not so much about being calorie-conscious but it is just that there are so many new and unique varieties of desserts that are going to surface in 2012 that down-scaling their portions is an obvious answer. Look for things like milkshake shots, mini cheesecakes and even finger pies.
Street smart: Indian street food is all set to take the world by storm in 2012. But it isn’t the usual bhelpuri or paani puri that’s going to have people in Cuba sit up and dig into chaat, what is going to get popular is Indian street food with a local twist. So don’t be surprised if you find some nachos in the bhelpuri or grated cheese as a garnish for sev puri.

The writer is a food consultant and a blogger