Apparently charcoal is the new black when it comes to food. Picture: @morgensternsnyc
ACTIVATED charcoal? Now we’ve really been fed everything. While we’re all still trying to wrap our heads around the rainbow craze, it looks like our food is crossing over to the dark side.
The latest trend to hit Instagram is black cuisine, and it’s being served up in top restaurants and fast food joints around the world. From burgers to macaroons, even croissants and detox juices — it’s all going goth.
Charcoal food isn’t necessarily a new concept, it’s been popping up on the wellness scene for a few years now, with nutritionists and foodies raving about its numerous health benefits, including teeth whitening, digestive cleansing, detoxifying, alleviating skin problems, even (allegedly) preventing hangovers.
This sounds like a dream outcome for every hapless home cook who tends to torch even the most basic of dishes, aka: myself. But this week, I received an email in my inbox, “Would you try black coconut charcoal ice cream?”
Coconut, tick. Ice cream, tick. But charcoal? It was time to get the inside scoop.
Luckily, this inky black treat happens to be the brainchild of Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream, an ice cream hotspot in New York City, and locals are going nuts for the latest craze.
So what the heck does coconut ash taste like?
Given the flavour is created using the “charred and processed remains of a coconut shell,” according to the man behind the magic, Nick Morgenstern, one lick is a coconut explosion. Coconut flakes, coconut cream and coconut milk in addition to the richly pigmented ash. Those after a serious sugar hit have been ordering it with Oreo cookies, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, or whatever takes your fancy.
But a word of warning, wrap your lips around one of these bad boys and you’ll be sure to walk away with a mouth stained jet-black. So you might want to avoid heading back to the office after treating yourself.
Down Under, Brisbane-based Pressed Juice has created “black lemonade”, containing activated coconut charcoal.
“Made from coconut shells, [activated coconut charcoal] is a highly absorbent natural detoxifier that clings onto toxins, chemicals, cholesterol and other dangerous substances to excrete them from the body,” the popular juice manufacturer explains on its website.
Parlour Burger in Sydney’s CBD is home to the Black Widow Burger, famous for its blackened brioche bun made with “vegetable carbon” which adds a smoky flavour. Chef Sean Connolly first started serving up the unique creation back in 2013 and it has remained a menu favourite ever since.
In fact, Connolly was churning out so many Black Widow Burgers that he followed it up with a black hot dog, slotting a blood sausage into a perfectly charcoaled bun.
In a surprising twist, KFC jumped on the trend earlier this year. The fast food giant completely overhauled the classic zinger with a black bun topped with chilli flakes and nigella seeds. Unfortunately for fans of the Black Zinger Burger, it was only a one-off, available across Australia as a limited edition menu item between March and April.
The black burger trend reached Brisbane. This one hit the menu at Comuna Cantina in the city.Source:News Corp Australia
As scary as your favourite carbs may appear in black, the dark hue is mostly achieved with squid ink, a common ingredient used by chefs all over the world. Ice cream cones, cakes and other desserts are mainly made from the traditional method of food colouring, or the new-age way of charcoal powder.
As for the health benefits? According to Morgenstern, activated charcoal is “just something organic that has been charred and processed with high heat so that it behaves like a filter.”
But leading Australian nutritionist Susie Burrell says tread carefully and keep it as a “sometimes food”. “While it is sometimes used to treat poisoning or drug overdoses as it helps to bind substances, it also does not differentiate what it binds so can cause intestinal blockages,” she told news.com.au. “Many of the other proposed health benefits are not proven.”
OK, so we’re not about to treat the diet to an entirely black overhaul anytime soon, but those of us yawning over the multicoloured food craze can relax because we’re over the rainbow and we’re going goth.
Here’s proof:
