Following or setting the trends?

Every year, just before the New Year, it is customary to make guesses on what the new year will bring next year, what will be new trends, in gastronomy, what will be cool to eat and drink, what will be out of fashion and what will be new hot topics. The gastronomy world is all speculating what the new gastronomy trends of 2024 will be. Inevitably, here in Türkiye, we are also affected by those trends, often set in the West. Looking at some trends, I realize that some topics are already commonplace practices in kitchens and tables in this country. So why don't we set those gastronomy trends ourselves? Maybe this will be the topic of the coming year; presenting ideas from us to the world, showcasing our usual food traditions we all take for granted, not even thinking about that some of our daily fare might be great ideas for many others out there.

So, what is being talked about in the world for 2024, and what could be the implications for us? First of all, there is an escape from sugary drinks and beverages in the beverage world. Actually, in the recent past, sugar has almost become like a swear word. Even cocktails are shifting to salty and savory, and moreover, tasting menus are now featuring non-alcoholic drink pairings. Top restaurants feel almost obliged to offer a non-alcoholic pairing in tasting menus, usually focusing on sugar-free fermented drinks that are at the forefront of the pairings, such as varieties of kombucha with only a slight sweetness. It would be fair to say that we have a head start in this regard. I always repeat a funny anecdote. Back in the days, when the first hamburger chains came to Türkiye, they had to go against the world practice at the time and put “ayran,” the ubiquitous salty yogurt drink, on their menus, and when Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola came into the Turkish market, when asked how they compete with each other, the answer was swift and sharp: We do not compete, we compete together against ayran! Apart from ayran, we have a very rich beverage culture, including a varied selection of savory beverages, ranging from “şalgam suyu,” a turnip and black carrot fermentation, to pickle juices. Plus, there are many low-sugar options, such as “şıra”, a slightly fermented dried grape drink, to “hardaliye,” another grape fermentation from the Thrace region, spiked with black mustard seeds, flavored with the faintly almondy aroma of sour cherry leaves. Türkiye also has a very strong industry of fruit juices, and roads are full with freshly squeezed natural fruit juices, and needless to say a strong tradition of fruity, spicy and flowery sherbets. We can make a difference in this regard; we just have to let the world chefs know about the diverse alternatives in the beverage world.

Another trend that might make a comeback, especially in Britain, is the charm of sharing small plates. The unexpected sad death of Russel Norman, a renowned restaurateur and food writer in the United Kingdom, came as a shock. He was credited with revolutionizing the restaurant industry in London by introducing small sharing plates in his restaurants such as the groundbreaking Polpo, inspired by Venice, the city he was in love with. Norman was a true lover of Venice. The idea he picked up from Venice was the tiny “cicchetti” plates served in “baccari” the typical wine bars of Venice. When I was studying in Venice, I always thought that the “baccari” taverns were akin to our “koltuk meyhanesi,” what we can translate as stand-up elbow-counter “meyhane,” the drinking holes. Of course, the “cicchetti” are the equivalent of “meze” platters, the strong backbone of the dining scene here. When people go out for dining, it is inevitable to order an array of meze platters, as it is all about sharing and conviviality. Sharing the small plates initiates a strong start to a friendly cheerful night out. Ordering a single dish for oneself feels so distant, even the main dish, whether it be kebab or fish, is usually ordered to share as a big plate enough for all. It seems that it is just the right time to introduce our undiscovered appetizer “meze” culture to the world, emphasizing its almost tangible values of conviviality and sharing, setting a jovial table at peace!

News of the Year:

There has been breaking news in December that will apparently be on our agenda in 2024. Here are the foremost two that we will be covering and writing about:

Our olive culture is now on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The national nomination file titled “Traditional Knowledge, Methods and Practices Concerning Olive Cultivation in Türkiye” prepared by the Culture and Tourism Ministry was registered on UNESCO's “Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Protection” in the list of “Need of Urgent Safeguarding” on Dec. 5, 2023. In 2024, it is possible to predict that many projects will start to protect our olive culture and important steps will be taken in this regard.

National Gastronomy Institute is being established: The latest breaking news is from Ankara. A national Gastronomy Institute will be established within the Council of Higher Education of Türkiye (YÖK). On Dec. 26, a highly productive workshop was organized in this direction bringing major stakeholders together. Many sector representatives and pioneers in the field of gastronomy gathered at the Millet Library to discuss and formulate a common vision within the framework of 12 predetermined topics. One of the questions was about the Gastronomy Institute’s capacity to follow, develop and guide gastronomy trends. I happened to be the moderator to one of the working groups, and I have to admit that that particular question has been inspirational for me to write this article. The establishment of this institute will definitely be on next year’s gastronomy agenda. We can already say that we can create the trends that will influence the world based on our own culinary culture. In 2024, we hope we will be talking about this the most!