If there is one food fad that ruled Instagram last year, it has to be the “Unicorn” revolution. Everything from lattes to cupcakes to sweet bread to ice creams – to even noodles – bore the multicolour look and was heavily photographed by foodies online.
Now, you can rest assured that when one fad starts to rule the roost, its anti-version is most definitely brewing in a quiet corner too. What’s the opposite of colour? Black, of course! A slew of pictures of pitch black food appeared online with charcoal as its most active ingredient! We're not kidding!
Where did it begin?
A gourmet ice cream parlour in New York city called Morgenstern is widely claimed as being responsible for the first appearance of pitch black food. The flavour is called Coconut Milk Ash whose main ingredients are coconut milk, coconut cream and flakes. What gives it the black colour is the addition of charred coconut shell in the mixture. The internet claimed that it tasted bloody brilliant, and fell in love with it!
The trend moved on to coffee, as a black latte was soon spotted with charcoal as its main ingredient. Makers of “Goth Coffee” – as it is called in parts of UK and Australia – claim that the charcoal is a detoxifier and can be had in small quantities.
How Did it Hit India?
While the wave of blackness may have hit Instagram this year, black dishes have been around in India since 2015!
Barcelos – a South African chain in Delhi – launched a Black Burger on its menu in May, 2015. The science lab Masala Bar had a Charcoal Pav Bhaji on its menu last year. It retained the same buttery-ness, spice and oomph of our favourite street food – except that it was completely black in appearance. (The charcoal is only used as a colouring agent and doesn’t affect taste at all.)
Another black food infusion in India emerged in the form of the BBQ Paneer Burger at The Rolling Pin in Mumbai. Served with fries, the buns are completely black and have been on the menu since 2015. The filling is made up of soft paneer, doused in barbecue sauce, which complements the smokiness of the buns.
Note: Squid Ink is also another popular ingredient used to impart black colour to food, but the burger uses edible charcoal.
And finally for dessert, India is riding the black ice cream trend too! IceKraft was the first ice cream parlour to serve it in the country, when it introduced the Black Triple Threat – a subtle, orange-flavoured ice cream mixed with edible charcoal. You can add toppings such as Nutella, white chocolate and whipped cream to enhance the flavour. This parlour also serves charcoal waffles and freakshakes – so if you’re lucky enough to live close to an outlet, make sure to get your charcoal freak on!
(A massive EDM junkie and a Jedi Padewan, Radhika believes in taking life by the fork and knife every day. She has been a media woman for the last 10 years with a huge passion for video technology. While working in content management is her day avatar, nothing gets her foodie side going like a good spicy misal pav!)
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