As we hurtle towards 2023, here are all the recipes that took the internet by storm this year

Not sure if it is just me or if this year too has indeed gone by in the blink of an eye. It feels like it was just yesterday I was filing a story, attempting to predict the food trends for 2022. And now, just before we step into 2023, here I am again, shedding light on some of the most popular recipes or renditions of these recipes that the world of social media has given us a glimpse of and corroborating that very article. From pastas and pizzas to salads and superfoods, we have witnessed a variety of dishes belted out by popular food influencers and even beloved celebrities. And as I list some of them here, you can be the judge and decide if the forecast was indeed correct, or the food industry has veered off a different path altogether.

Scroll further to relive this year in terms of food and flavours that the world has gone crazy after.

1. The power of the Green Goddess
With January turning into Veganuary, this year started with a host of healthy recipes, with an extra focus on adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. And around that time, the green goddess salad too made her entry in the food scenario, as the internet lost its mind over the calming green hues on a plate and the endless benefits of enjoying a salad. All that was needed to be done was whip up the green goddess salad dressing and any salad made with it was a rendition of the viral recipe.

2. A two-in-one breakfast?
Pancakes have always been a popular breakfast choice. Top it with whipped cream, garnish it with chocolate chips or go old-school with a drizzle of maple syrup, there is nothing about this no-fuss dish to not like. Or so was the case until the genius, who thought of pancake cereal, stepped in. I thought this trick was an absolute game-changer. Despite the recipe having a somewhat elaborate preparation, who would say no to a bowlful of mini-pancakes. An added bonus to this recipe was that mini food always works well on the internet. A cutesy bowl of mini-pancakes in place of cereal does make for a beautiful and quirky Instagram shot after all, doesn't it?

3. Three-ingredient goodies
As the world gradually picked up its pace after nearly coming to a standstill two years ago, everyone was looking for quick-fixes, ready-to-eat and DIY meals to adjust to the once-again busy lifestyle. So it does not come off as a surprise that recipes that donned only three to five ingredients went viral in an instant. Furthermore, this was especially the matter with dishes that were go-to choices for midnight snacks. From a three-ingredient ice-cream to a five-ingredient mug cake, people from the world over wanted to try these peculiar recipes, moreover there was nothing to stop them from doing so as well considering all required ingredients were readily available in their home-kitchen.

4. Tortilla Wraps
I don't speak for everyone when I say this, but show me a good food hack and I will forever be thankful to you. That is how I felt when I first saw the viral tortilla wrap. Extremely simple and easy to replicate, this three-fold tortilla wrap with a number of renditions, from classic desi condiments to global flavours, didn't take much time at all to catch up. As a plus side to this viral recipe, for quite a while Instagram was adorned with a multitude of easy tortilla wrap recipes and were proposed as a quick-fix snack.

5. Souper-duper meals
2022 saw a major shift in eating habits and lifestyles, with the crowd picking up on what is healthy and what isn't and how one can easily incorporate such habits into their day-to-day life. The idea was to not try an extravagant recipe but something that can be made without spending much time or thought on it. And what better no-brainer than a warm bowl of soup? All that was needed was a bunch of vegetables with the occasional meat tossed in one pot with hot water and seasoning. But even soups developed genres of their own. This year we saw everything from immunity-boosting soups to gut-friendly recipes, from ramen soup bowls inspired by anime to the old classics such as a rustic chicken soup come to our aid and rescue.

6. Condiments to the rescue
Once the world figured that gourmet food at home was possible by bringing together a couple of condiments, the revelation was truly a life-saver. A dish that would initially take hours to prepare could now be tackled in minutes. Condiments soon became a popular go-to choice for seasoning as opposed to the box of masalas that boomers would prefer. And even in this broad category, one condiment that garnered a great deal of attention was inevitably the chill oil, being paired with a multitude of snacks and resulting in a harmony of flavours that you couldn't resist.

7. Boards get a buttery makeover
If cheese boards were all the rage in 2021, then the butter boards made sure to make a whopping entry and steal the show. Cheese boards were being adorned with dollops of softened butter and doused in a number of condiments and seasoning, to be enjoyed with a number of snacks. Take a look at the butter we attempted to make, giving it a much-needed desi twist to be enjoyed on several occasions, including that New Year's Eve party you plan on hosting.

Now that you've read so far, do you think the initial prediction still stands or does social media always leave room for a world of possibilities that just cannot be foreseen?