Sounds weird to say last year when it was only 20 days ago, but last year we witnessed crowds running around like headless chickens just to get their hands on Dubai chocolate or a Crumbl Cookie. Whilst others swapped iced coffees for matcha lattes and ate matcha-ified desserts like the matcha tiramisu. Some even obsessively slathered hot honey on everything from sweet to savoury.

Despite its run, the Dubai chocolate met its own death at the halfway mark of the year. Yet I can’t say the same for the beloved matcha, it’s full of healthy benefits despite containing copious heaps of sugar.

Companies were on the edge of giving in to private equity, so they jumped on the matcha trend. Big high street names like Costa and Starbucks closed several locations and reported operational losses, some have argued that established brands have failed to predict customer behaviour as young people opt for Blank Street or Black Sheep Coffee. Although I don’t see the deaths of established coffee shops as imminent, one thing is clear; young consumers are more willing to splash out on viral foods and drinks. Why? Well it might be the need ‘fit in’ or it could simply be down to moral integrity and boycotting certain brands with unfavourable politics. This isn’t exclusive to coffee shops, as the same can be said about brands like McDonalds and Coca-Cola.

A key factor excluded from the conversation is that the general population are taking a more mindful approach. People are more conscious of their decisions; calorie counting has become the norm, and people would rather spend more on non-processed goods than consume random chemicals. Compared to past generations, Gen Z are keener to expand their palettes. Which is why I’m predicting another green sensation, pandan; a plant used as a flavouring agent in both desserts and savoury dishes and for its nutritional advantages. I’m certain that the “eat the rainbow” trend will be staying, whilst those of us with a sweet tooth will fall head over heels with a new treat.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons