6 South African food editors share ingredients they’re excited about this year

With humanless food shopping, ‘seacuterie’ and sandwiches featuring highly on the list of Studio H’s latest Future Food report, it got us wondering what the stylists and food editors who offer us recipes and delicious food-spiration each month have on their radars as ingredients to get excited about in 2020.

Julie Velosa – Editor at Crush Magazine Online
I am crushing on edamame at the moment. Ever since having the sriracha ones at Protégé in Franschhoek, my love affair with them has gotten really serious. I serve them freshly steamed – simple, but so satisfying when sucked out of the pods with salty soy and sesame seeds. They are a staple ingredient in my other current obsession: all-green salads. I’m also working on a recipe for edamame hummus.

Abigail Donnelly – Woolworths and TASTE Magazine Creative Food Director 
If canned chickpeas have never been one of your pantry staples, resolve here and now to never be caught without them again. Not only are they an essential ingredient in countless plant-based recipes – like curries, salads and soups – but you can also be even more creative with them, like by making a chickpea butter to top pancakes or waffles. 

Chiara Turilli – Food Editor at My Kitchen Magazine I’m fascinated with seasonal produce – as an Italian, it’s something rooted very deeply into my soul. Produce honestly tastes richer when it’s in season and they inspire me to create. Artichokes have been my favourite lately. Their beautiful, layered texture recently inspired me to create a backdrop with only their ‘husks’. A traditional Italian method is to fry the whole choke and serve with crunchy salt. I have been using them wafer-thin and raw in salads, making smoked purée with the stems, and salt-brûléeing the sacred artichoke heart with garlic gremolata and roasted garlic aïoli. 

Johané Neilson – Food Editor at Tuis/Home Magazine 
I think 2020 is undoubtedly the year of the veg and it will be a delicious challenge to make vegetables pack a flavour punch. The ingredient I am excited about cooking with this year is salt! I want to make flavoured salts with everything from lemon (my tree is bearing for the first time, and I think sour flavours are exciting) to bacon and sesame seeds, as well as experiment with the lavender and blue cornflower salt I bought as a treat in Lorgue. Other ingredients that I can’t wait to play with are bulgur wheat, tamarind and ginger.

Margie Burger – Food Editor at Your Family Magazine 
Humble sorghum has for too long only been seen on breakfast tables, but that’s all about to change in 2020. This proudly African grain is popping up (quite literally) on fine-dining restaurant menus in the forms of the tiniest perfect popcorn; in purées and sauces; spiced and pan-fried; and topping delicious chocolatey desserts. The best part? It’s packed with health benefits and is a gluten-free, excellent source of meat-free protein and very cost-effective. 

Tessa Purdon – Editor at Food24 and Eat Out
Beans are having a moment right now and I can’t say I’m disappointed. I plan to embrace all that these cheap, healthy little nuggets have to offer! I’m dreaming of marinated cannellini in a salad, hearty red kidney-bean curries, Tex-Mex style refried beans in tacos, and herbed fava beans with pasta.