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Superfood: the trendiest foods in 2020

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2020 is going to be the year of superfoods: those foods that over the last decade have brought vibrant colors and novel flavors into our kitchens, teaming nutritional and curative properties.
Let’s take a look at the trendy superfoods whose versatility has made them an increasingly frequent visitor to our tables. Essential for vegetarian and vegan diets, their real strength lies in the fact they’ve helped bridge the gap between Mediterranean cuisine and far-off cultures.

What are superfoods?

Over the last decade, these foods have become an essential feature in our diet as a result of their dual  nutritional and curative function. They are described as “super” because they have natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties: they boost energy, nourish the skin and body and are beneficial for both organs and muscle structure, so they are a valuable ally for everyday wellbeing.
The qualities of superfoods are not limited to their “mere” health benefits. Given their innate versatility, these foods are a must for anyone following a vegetarian or vegan diet, but they have also played an important role in enriching dishes from the already impressive Mediterranean tradition, bringing new colors and original flavors to our table.

The superfoods of 2020?

The superfoods we’re most familiar with include avocado, turmeric, buckwheat, watermelon and hemp seeds, spirulina, ginger and quinoa, but all sorts of other surprising trends are continuing to emerge.

We’ve grouped the trendiest superfoods into a list for the table to accompany you from breakfast through to bedtime, whatever your tastes are.

Tiger nuts to get the day off to a roaring start

Named for its streaked texture that resembles the big cat’s stripes, tiger nuts are an ancient superfood: it’s said to have been a popular snack with the Egyptians, who also used it for medicinal purposes.
This food contains 10 grams of fiber, almost half the recommended daily amount.
This resistant starch aids digestion, prevents constipation and is a useful ally for weight loss. Rich on monounsaturated fatty acids, it’s also excellent for the heart.

Tiger nuts have a sweet flavor reminiscent of a mix of coconut and almond, and they can be enjoyed as a simple snack, as the Egyptians did, or added to cereals or smoothies.

Amla, melissa and moringa: drinks for all tastes to enjoy all day

Amla, or Indian gooseberry, is a fruit with a bitter flavor. Of symbolic value for Buddhists, it’s set to be one of the most widely used superfoods in 2020. Rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, it can be added to shakes or juices.
Superfood cosa sono – Fratelli Carli
If you’re a fan of tisanes, you might like to try melissa (or lemon balm), a fragrant herb with calming and sedating properties. A cup of melissa tea after meals aids digestion and alleviates symptoms of gastritis.
Moringa, used for medicinal purposes for centuries, is today present in many diets.
Used mainly in powder form, moringa has a high protein content, and is rich in antioxidants, iron and vitamins E and K. It can be diluted in tea, other drinks or smoothies. It doesn’t have a strong taste, so your palate won’t notice much of a difference, but it provides a shot of energy.

Tahini, a superfood with a Middle-Eastern aroma

Tahini is a superfood made from sesame seeds. Also known as sesame butter or sesame paste, it is rich in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein, calcium, iron and magnesium. You can prepare it at home by roasting sesame seeds and grinding them in a marble mortar, or buy it ready-made (also organic) from ethnic food stores or larger supermarkets. Top-quality tahini contains sesame seeds without preservatives or whitening agents.

Many are familiar with tahini as the star ingredient in hummus, but its delicate flavor also goes well with many other ingredients. For instance, it can be used as an alternative to nuts in pesto sauces, or as a condiment for salads: just blend 30g of tahini (roughly a heaped tablespoon), 2 tbsps. of our EVO Oil, 1 clove of dried garlic and herbs to taste.

It should be kept in a closed container in the refrigerator and taken out half an hour before use to soften it.
Superfood quali sono – Fratelli Carli

Lupini beans: not just an aperitif snack

Lupini beans are a must for accompanying an aperitif, and they’ve recently been found to be a superfood because they are an excellent vegetable protein source with a high biological value (an indication of the quality of dietary proteins, calculated based on the ratio between nitrogen consumed and nitrogen retained in the body).
Rich in mineral salts such as iron and potassium, they also contain B group vitamins (in particular B1). Lupini bean flour can be used to make bread or delicious vegetarian and vegan burgers.

Versatile superfoods

You may not be aware there are two superfoods we all know very well.

Prunes, familiar to us all, will attract increasing attention in 2020. Rich in fiber and perfect for the intestine, they can be used – chopped finely - in place of sugar in desserts and biscuits.

Peas are one of the world’s most widely consumed pulses and are especially popular in Mediterranean cuisine. What you may not know is that they contain all the amino acids that are essential for building muscle tissue. All you need to do is mix powdered pea protein (readily available online, and also in many supermarkets) with any kind of shake, soup or pesto sauce to boost protein content.
Alimenti e cibi Superfood – Fratelli Carli

Goldenberry: a new entry

Native to South America, with a golden color and sour flavor, the goldenberry (physalis peruviana, also known as Cape gooseberry) is very popular in North America, and has made its entry into Italy through pastry shops, where you might find it coated in chocolate.

The goldenberry is rich in antioxidants, and contains a high amount of vitamins A, B and C. In Peru, Argentina and Colombia, it is mainly enjoyed as a snack, but because of its slightly sharp flavor, it can be used to bring an interesting contrast to salads.

An evergreen: the avocado

No list of superfoods would be complete without the avocado. Used in all sorts of ways and in numerous dishes, this fruit will be one of the most popular again in 2020.
Rich in healthy fats and fiber, it contains more potassium than a banana, as well as antioxidants. It’s also very versatile in the kitchen, where its flavor and texture can be used to create new recipes, both sweet and savory.
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