Food Plating Trend 2021

1) Edible foliage 

A new trend that has been sweeping across restaurants and quirky table setting is edible vegetable leaves and spring flowers. This plating technique ensures that there is zero waste and foraging. You can use the leaves from the vegetables put in the dish for decorating the plate. To find spring flowers, you can either visit your local flower shop or forage outside. This styling trend adds a fresh and colourful element to your plates. However, make sure that the leaves or flowers that you are using are edible. If you are not sure, it is best that you don’t use them. 

2) Geometric shapes 

Geometric shapes is another food plating trend of 2021 that is already being seen all over Instagram and countless food magazines. The most popular shapes include thin lines, fork waves, and micro-dots. With this styling idea, you will be able to add organisation and order to the natural chaos of your food. 

3) Monochromatic decorations 

This styling method brings out the brilliance of the natural colour of your food. Executing this food plating trend is very simple. You can use a sauce of the same colour as the dish or you can make all the components the same colour. This is a fun decorating method that works best with natural colours. 

4) Organic smear and splatter 

In this food plating trend, the natural shapes of springs are celebrated and honoured through styling. This styling method is often used with sauces. The splatter or smear gives the plate a beautiful pattern that perfectly complements simple dishes. 

5) Radial rings 

This is an expressive and delicate food plating technique that is often used with sauce. With this, you can display the beauty of how multiple colours work together or you can decide to go for a monochromatic theme. You can pair the overlapping, thin sauce rings with dainty meals and desserts, giving them a sense of playfulness and renewal. 

6) Landscape technique 

In this food plating trend, you can take inspiration from a landscape garden. It involves arranging the food linearly that is usually kept long and low. 

7) Food on organic materials 

In this styling method, you can use organic materials like stone, slate, and food to plate your food. With this, you can give a more back to nature or rustic feel to your dishes. 

8) The Nordic Look technique 

If you want your plates to have a seemingly effortless style, you can make chunks of vegetables or ribbons and scatter herbs to garnish on your dish. 

9) Bathing technique 

In this method, you bathe fish in sauce and broth. An example of this is serving tortellini with coquilles or a shellfish sauce with truffle foam, shrimps, goat cheese, and chicory. 

10) Freeform 

This technique is similar to several modern paintings. In this plating method, it might seem like you have strewn across the plate carelessly. But, you have to carefully think about every food placement and stroke to create an intriguing, abstract painting on the plate. 

Conclusion 

Taking your time to plate your meal and style it can be very rewarding. It is the perfect opportunity for you to have some fun with your food and be creative, even if it's just for home cooking pop ups or kitty parties. Apart from this, with the right plating method, you can make your meal even more enjoyable. 

People eat with their eyes. Texture and colour of your food are just as important as its taste. Even something as simple as pattern plates can have a major impact on the styling of the food. That is why you have to take your time styling your food and adding more personal value to it. By doing this, you will be able to make sure that cooking different cuisines remain exciting to you forever. 

If you style and plate your food well, it can help with portion control as well. When you are adding decorations, it is possible that you end up putting less amount of food on the plate. This can actually help with accidental overeating. For example, by drizzling some sauce on the rim of your place, you can expand the portion visually without increasing the calories. 

Food plating and styling is an event. Even if you are not artistic or that good of a home chef to try experimental plating trends, you can still have fun with everyone at your dinner parties. Try one of the above-mentioned plating trends and post your new experiments on Instagram.