13 delicious trends to look out for in 2025
What will 2025 bring on the food front? TASTE food director Abigail Donnelly looks into her crystal ball and picks the 13 biggest trends to tap into this year
1. Bring on the sando
One of the biggest trends Abi is seeing is the growing love for the gourmet sandwich (the bigger and bolder, the better) and standalone “sarmie bars” or sandwich houses, where a restaurant sells just sandwiches. Locally, to name just one example, we’ve seen this with Aperitif bar in Bree Street, Cape Town, opening a sandwich bar to keep things moving during the day. Overseas, there have been several instances where sandwich bars develop a cult following overnight, with queues around the block forming straight off the bat.
2. Comfort is king
The world is a crazy place right now, and when times are uncertain, people want comfort. The result is a resurgence of so-called “nostalgic food”, or dishes your mom or grandmother used to make. “I am seeing a LOT of casseroles,” laughs Abi. But these dishes – let’s also include the pasta bakes in the mix – also have room for updates: using plant-based alternatives in traditionally meat-heavy dishes, for example.
3. Spread it thick
We’re seeing very interesting things happening with condiments and spreads. “Lots of chefs are bringing out their own ranges – look at what (Yotam) Ottolenghi and René Redzepi of Noma are doing,” says Abi. And it’s not just condiments – the spread section is also undergoing a revolution. Think beyond your standard peanut butter and Marmite – we’re talking unique flavours like honey butter, Pollen bakery in Manchester’s massively popular croissant butter, and whipped tahini flavoured with halva, pistachio or pumpkin seeds.
Intrigued? Try Khanya’s cheesecake spread!
Hot cross buns with cheesecake spread
4. Go bananas
A surprising flavour trend that Abi picked up on is banana. “It’s quite a humble ingredient if you think about it, but I’ve been seeing a lot of banana being used in elevated dishes – like a banana soufflé at Orangerie restaurant. And Epice restaurant in Franschhoek also offers a beautiful dessert with banana, caramel and tonka bean.”
Banana yoghurt soft serve recipe
5. Surf ’n turf is riding the wave
Another big trend is the reinvention of that old classic, the surf ’n turf dish, on restaurant menus. Remember the retro carpetbagger steak-and-oyster combo? Local chefs are having fun with it in new and interesting ways. “A lot of chefs are doing duck and langoustine,” says Abi. “And Marble restaurant does a great fillet with mussels.” We’re revisiting the 80s, but in a fresh way.
6. Plant-based, and plenty of it
Plant-based eating has become so entrenched that it’s strange to still think of it as a trend – and yet Abi (and every trend forecaster out there) confirms that this wave is just cresting. “We’re just going to see more plant-based menus, and more and more veggies, more vegetable-forward cooking,” she confirms. The plant-based trend also ties in with the massive global movement of healthier eating, and a growing awareness about the importance of unprocessed food that’s free of additives and preservatives.
7. Twirls and tuiles
In terms of “decoration”, last year it was bows, bows, bows – everything had bows on it, or was shaped in the form of bows. (Blame fashion, and TikTok.) This year, Abi predicts, will be the year of the tuille. Pronounced “tweel”, a tuille is a thin cookie-like wafer. Often used as a garnish, Abi thinks it will feature more prominently in dishes this year.
Curious? Try your hand at making them:
Vanilla wafer tuiles with creamy coffee
8. Global is good
Never have our local palates been more influenced by global flavours. “Especially when you look at the ‘dry pantry’ section,” explains Abi, the growth in variety of global ingredients available locally is just astonishing. She expects a lot of Mexican and Indian items to land on our shelves. “Another trend that ties in with this is the growth in food travel – where people want to go on authentic food tours, to someone’s home, to learn proper cultural techniques. I think the big destinations for food travel this year will be Japan, Thailand and Mexico – none of which require a visa for South Africans, by the way.”
ALSO READ: 5 street foods to try in Port Louis, Mauritius
9. Spice is nice
“Spice is huge,” confirms Abi. “Anything spicy – spicy condiments, spicy oils – spice is very hot right now.” Concurrently, there’s a massive interest in and growing appreciation for Mexican food. And it’s going to go beyond your standard taco and fajita – get ready for interesting dishes like salsa negra, a “black salsa” made with black garlic and chillies.
Mexican black bean soup with chipotle charred corn
10. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
“Smoking food, smoked sauces, smoked condiments – there’s a lot of smoking going on,” says Abi. And to go with that, outdoor fire-cooking or flame-grilled cooking is having a moment. Of course, being South African, we’ve always been ahead of the curve on this particular wave – but we’re seeing more and more restaurants harnessing the smoky flavours of wood-fired cooking to infuse their offerings.
11. The “low and no” alcohol trend
The global rise of people (especially younger people, the gen Zs) drinking less or forgoing alcohol completely, shows no signs of stopping. “Non-alcoholic drink options are expanding,” says Abigail. “Younger people are drinking less, people are more aware of their health, and then there’s the price to consider, too,” given the fact that non-alcoholic pairings are generally less expensive. The restaurant industry has responded by providing more and more non-alcoholic drinks pairings. And it’s not just sodas or zero-alcohol beers – we’re talking proper mixology, just without the booze.
Sober-curious? We’ve got a non-alcoholic drinks pairing for every day of the week:
7 delicious non-alcoholic drinks pairings for every day of the week
12. Come for tea
When it comes to hot drinks, coffee has always stolen the show – but its cousin, tea, is currently making a run for the podium. And while we are seeing a growth in a variety and presentation (“Milky iced teas are big”, says Abi), the trend is also towards using it as an ingredient in food – tea-flavoured desserts and pastries, and savoury applications, such as curing fish or meat.
Chamomile, vanilla and white chocolate no-bake tart recipe
13. Darling dumplings
Another big trend for this year is dumplings. This ties in with the world-wide interest in Asian cooking, but the dumpling trend is so big that it can stand on its own. And while dumplings originated as a street food and can still be enjoyed as such, they have made the leap to gourmet menus and fine-dining restaurants the world over, including locally, as can be found on the menus of local chefs including Liam Tomlin and Luke Dale Roberts.
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