10 food moments that made us sit up

Here's looking back at a year that saw protein atta and matcha ice-cream, nostalgia-soaked menus, and Indian tastemakers on the global food map

- Rituparna Roy

It was an exciting year for the food and beverage industry from culinary innovations that saw matcha ladoos and caviar bumps, to AI-powered kitchen automation complete with waiter robots, a dozen more speakeasies, and India's chefs shining bright with Michelin stars and on 50 Best lists.

These highlights are by no means exhaustive, but capture some of the things we loved, cheered, and often didn't quite understand, and yet happily played along with the hype.

RISE OF AGAVE SPIRITSThis was the year of the Picante. The cocktail became an opportunity for bartenders to showcase their skills and gave a boost to agave-based spirits. Brands like Maya Pistola became more visible, while new brands like El Goonda and Loca Loka made their debuts. We also saw the rise of bars focused on agave spirits and Latin American cuisines, from Goa's Quinta Cantina to Bengaluru's Una Hacienda.

SPOTLIGHT ON SOUTH INDIAThe queues outside Benne Bombay got so much longer that the Mumbai-based founders announced in October that they would be setting up shop in Delhi's GK-II. The obsession for South Indian food peaked owing to a newfound interest in the diversity and curiosity for the cuisines from the region. Some experimented, others stuck to the recipe book. Vellam in Gurugram introduced dosa tacos, Uppu in Mumbai did home-style vegetarian fare, and musician Shankar Mahadevan launched Malgudi in Mumbai with a filter coffee barista station. Bisi Bele Bibimbap, anyone?