Stay trendy

Who doesn’t love to experiment with a new cuisine? Here are our predictions for 2017:

◆ Middle Eastern food has been on an upward trajectory since Yotam Ottolenghi taught us how to use pomegranate molasses and za’atar. And our appetite for this exciting and varied cuisine continues – look out for Lebanese, Iraqi, Syrian and Egyptian dishes.

◆ Eastern European food is on the rise, too, with Polish and Ukrainian food in particular causing a stir. Olia Hercules’ book, Mamushka: Recipes From Ukraine & Beyond (Mitchell Beazley), was received with critical acclaim in 2015, and is a great introduction. Look out for her new book later this year.

◆ Korean food has been gaining in popularity, and now ready meals can even be found in supermarkets. With its big, bold flavours, this is a cuisine that can be achieved at home with only a few specialist ingredients. One vital condiment is gochujang, a paste made from glutinous rice, cooked soybeans, red pepper powder and salt, and traditionally fermented in earthenware pots in the sun. Buy yours at Waitrose (£1.65 for 100g) or souschef. co.uk (£2.50 for 200g).