EXPERT EYE: CHARCOAL

In black burger buns, inky cocktails and oily black dressings like tar, charcoal is having a moment. Lulu Grimes explains why

Black food like squid ink risoto and liquorice jelly has always looked dramatic and charcoal is the newest black. At the top end of the market, chefs kicked-of the trend a while ago; Noma’s René Redzepi served up leek ash, Ferran Adrià played with charcoal oil and Simon Rogan blitzed whole burnt onions, while, on the drinks side, Alex Kratena at London’s Artesian bar added vegetable ash to his Dream within a dream cocktail. artesian-bar.co.uk Now you can drink an inked daiquiri at Black Dice (black-dice.com); a charcoal old fashioned at Bull in a China Shop (bullinachinashop.london); eat Tom Seller’s potato, asparagus and coal (restaurantstory. co.uk); salted caramel and charcoal macarons from Super Cute Macarons (supercutemacarons.com); and chicken burgers in black brioche buns (above) at Bull In A China Shop. Even Burger King has followed the trend, albeit only in Japan. Running alongside chef-driven ideas is the health trend for using activated charcoal (said to absorb toxins) in drinks such as Botanic Lab’s charcoal water favoured with yuzu (botanic-lab.co.uk) and the Juice Well’s Hunger buster (thejuicewell.hk). While homemade charcoal or ash favour (which could be made from bamboo, vegetables or coconut) is a more playful ingredient with a smoky/biter favour, as well as a grity texture, activated charcoal adds litle more than blackness and mouthfeel, a glass of black water or juice is a visual leap of faith. If you want to try making your own black recipes, buy activated charcoal from health food shops or char your own fruit and veg. Stay away from the BBQ coals though. Don’t eat too much activated charcoal, because as well as removing toxins, it removes nutrients. The simplest way to join the trend is to serve stacks of Fudge’s heart-shaped charcoal crackers on your cheeseboard. thomasjfudges.co.uk