Zesty citrus fruits, neera, kombucha to steal spotlight in Chennai this summer

CHENNAI: Relishing good food with great flavour and a healthy profile is inevitable, regardless of season. Different seasons bring different ingredients and dishes into the limelight, taking people on a trendy gastronomical ride. When summer arrives in Chennai, the focus naturally shifts to delicious mangoes, refreshing tender coconut, or creamy buttermilk. But what if there’s more to the trend this year?

Chennai’s summer preference is all about fresh, light, and bold flavours. Explaining to DT Next the star ingredients this season, apart from mango, Chef Shriram Rajendran, founder of Cassandra Foods, shares, “Wood apple (vilampazham), kokum, ice apple (nungu), betel leaves, muskmelon, smoked pineapple, tender coconut, pandan leaves, and native herbs are fantastic alternatives. Our new ice cream collection includes flavours like roasted almond, burnt honey, and pistachio, combined with subtle local ingredients like saffron and carrot milk, creating refreshing, layered desserts ideal for the season.”

Chef and culinary consultant Mathangi Kumar believes that neera, a nutritious, unfermented sap extracted from the flower clusters of coconut palms, will be the centre of attraction, and jamun might also make a comeback. “With the influence of Korean culture in Chennai, we anticipate the boba tea trend will take over, offering unique flavours. We also expect experimentation with existing flavours, like blending tender coconut with coffee and more. Overall, refreshing food will be in the spotlight, while the demand for heavier foods like crab and chicken may decline,” she says. She also notes that indigenous ingredients will return to the culinary landscape in multiple ways.

This season, citrus fruits like pomelo, yuzu, and calamansi are standing out for their bright and zesty profiles. “Ingredients like kokum, raw mango, Thai basil, lemongrass, and tender coconut are making their way into both traditional and contemporary dishes,” Shriram adds.

For this summer, Pricol Gourmet Enterprise has introduced a distinctive twist to their coffee brews. “We’ve experimented by blending ingredients to perfection. Some of our creations include avocado coffee, Vietnamese salted coffee, wine coffee, and tepache, a traditional Mexican fermented drink made using pineapple and brown sugar. It’s a refreshing and fizzy beverage,” says Srikanth Jayaraman, General Manager of Operations. He also mentions that various flavours of kombucha will be explored this year.

Infusing fruits into savoury dishes will also gain attention, affirms Mathangi. Agreeing with her, Shriram offers examples like cold-pressed Asian broths, chilled soba noodle bowls, and citrus-glazed seafood.

Nostalgic flavours are being redefined with a contemporary twist — think gin & tonic-inspired sorbets (minus the alcohol), burnt chocolate ice cream, and carrot-saffron milk sorbet. Mock meat variants in light stir-fries, baos, and chilled summer salads are also gaining popularity. “As people become increasingly health-conscious, non-dairy milk like oat and almond milk will be used more often. This, in turn, will affect the dairy industry,” predicts Mathangi.

Though Chennai is progressing well in the culinary race compared to other major cities, the change is happening gradually. The integration of global flavours with a local touch plays a major role in driving this transformation.

When it comes to traditional dishes, Shriram says neer mor, nannari sarbath, and mango pachadi are receiving fresh makeovers. “Kokum paired with tender coconut, or jackfruit turned into taco fillings, are some of the new-age takes. At The Table, we’ve transformed kesari into a carrot-saffron milk sorbet and created a tender coconut payasam ice cream served with lemongrass-infused sago and toasted coconut for texture,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Mathangi is excited about the return of kanji, which is great for gut health. “It can be relished with dry fish, pickles, and more,” she shares. She also believes the versatility of amla will be explored more this summer.

Finally, when discussing major cooking techniques, Chef Shriram states, “Cold infusions, smoking, flash pickling, sous-vide, and open-fire grilling are popular this season. Slow-churning for desserts and lighter steaming or wok-tossing methods help retain ingredient freshness while keeping dishes easy on the palate. Chilled broths, sorbets, and infused waters are perfect for the heat.”