Emerging Summer Culinary Delights
As summer approaches, new culinary trends are capturing public attention, driven by their visual appeal and unique flavors. Among these, sprinkle-adorned dot cakes, sparkling tequila spritzes, and fluffy Japanese-style milk bread are gaining significant traction. While their presence on social media is undeniable, the question remains whether these trends offer genuine value beyond their online popularity.
Dot Cakes: A Sprinkle Sensation
Dot cakes, characterized by their flat tops, single-serving size, and generous covering of sprinkles (often referred to as “hundreds and thousands” in the UK), have become a viral sensation. Originating from bakeries like The Dotcakes in New York, these treats quickly spread across social media platforms, inspiring home bakers to recreate them. Blanca Spencer Morena, home baking buyer at Ocado, noted an 80% month-on-month increase in searches for sprinkles from April to May, highlighting their rising popularity.
Chloe Rose Steen, a 23-year-old from Cheshire, was inspired by social media to make her own dot cakes. She observed a growing desire to incorporate whimsical elements into everyday items, from matcha to desserts. Her own TikTok and Instagram posts showcasing her dot cakes garnered tens of thousands of views, demonstrating their widespread appeal. Despite their simple nature, resembling updated fairy cakes, their ease of preparation and cost-effectiveness contribute to their charm for home bakers, though premium pricing in commercial settings might be less appealing.
The Rise of the Tequila Spritz
While the Aperol Spritz has long been a summer staple and the Hugo Spritz saw increased popularity last year, a new contender has entered the scene: the tequila spritz. Retailers such as M&S have noted a 50% increase in tequila sales, drawing parallels between the tequila spritz and the grapefruit-based Paloma cocktail. Jane Atkey of Sainsbury's points to a continued consumer preference for lighter, more floral drinks, a trend that the elderflower-based Hugo Spritz (with Ocado reporting a 452% year-on-year search increase) continues to satisfy.
Joseph Costello, a 25-year-old bartender in Bath, attributes the tequila spritz's emergence to a shift in perception regarding tequila. Once primarily consumed as shots, tequila is now increasingly recognized for its quality, with a higher prevalence of 100% agave varieties in the UK market. Costello recommends the tequila spritz as an ideal summer drink for those seeking a longer, citrusy beverage with wine notes. He suggests a recipe of 15ml Aperol, 45ml tequila, 50ml prosecco, and a top-up of grapefruit soda.
Japanese-Style Milk Bread: A Soft Sensation
Japanese-style milk bread, a slightly sweet and incredibly soft loaf, has been steadily growing in popularity in the UK over the past five years, with Google searches showing a consistent upward trend. Social media, particularly TikTok, is rich with recipe videos, including one by former Great British Bake Off contestant Edd Kimber that amassed nearly 400,000 likes. The Times recently highlighted this once-niche bread as a burgeoning trend in London's high-end dining scene, while Waitrose reported a 2,000% year-on-year jump in searches for milk buns, linking it to the rising interest in Asian-inspired cuisine.
This enriched bread owes its signature soft, pillowy texture to the inclusion of milk and a cooked tangzhong or yudane starter (a mixture of flour and liquid). Jo Rourke, known as This Mum Cooks, showcased her experience with a discounted loaf of Japanese milk bread on Instagram, where her video garnered 41,000 views. She praised its softness, sweetness, and versatility, recommending it for various summer occasions, from barbecue buns to picnic sandwiches or even as a breakfast item with butter or jam. Jo expressed her intention to both repurchase the bread and continue refining her homemade version.
Source: BBC Food