What chefs can't wait to cook with in 2026

Fine-dining menus will see fresh action as ingredients like insect protein and seaweed inspire chefs to cook more responsibly

- Rituparna Roy

(clockwise from above) Red amaranth; silkworms a an eatery in Meghalaya; and sea lettuce.

(ISTOCKPHOTO)

2025 was about caviar and truffle, fine-dining menus are expected to get more adventurous this year with a spotlight on ingredients rooted in sustainability. India’s top chefs will continue to draw inspiration from some of the most unique and rare produce indigenous to the culture, and at the same time demonstrate restraint and respect through their specialised cooking techniques. We asked chefs from across the country to share the ingredients they are looking forward to cooking with in this year.

RADHIKA KHANDELWAL, CHEF-OWNER, RADISH HOSPITALITY PVT LTD, DELHI

Insect protein is something I'm curious about not as a shock ingredient, but as a long-term conversation around sustainability. Many cultures have historically consumed insects, even in our country, like silkworms in the North-East, and red ants across the tribal belt in central India. From a sustainability standpoint, insect protein is incredibly efficient. It requires far less land, water, and feed compared to conventional animal protein. I'd work with it in subtle formats like powders, flours, broths or blended preparations, where it adds nutrition and depth. Its success lies in quiet integration rather than spectacle. Ingredients such as these excite me because they push me to cook with more thought.

SAURABH UDINIA, CULINARY DIRECTOR, HOM, MUMBAI

Bhatt