Chia Pets or the 'the pottery that grows' have long been popular in America. Mixing chia seeds and water on the outside of an animal-shaped terra-cotta figurine produces a plant resembling green hair almost overnight. Now, chia is having a second life as a nutritional 'it' item.

“Food has moved from physical necessity to the epicentre of constant attention through media, public opinion, and status,” write the researchers behind Food Thinking, a study of emerging food culture in European countries. “It has taken over the Western world, past the point of hype or trend and become a social obsession. Suddenly, everything is about food!”

Brewing cocoa is one of the newest health beverages to hit the market, even though it is centuries old, originally enjoyed by the royalty of the ancient Maya and Aztec civilizations over 2 000 years ago. Brewing cocoa is said to offer tremendous health benefits and a great tasting alternative to traditional tea and coffee.

Today’s chefs are going beyond carrot cake, zucchini bread, and sweet potato pie when it comes to making desserts with vegetables. In the November issue of Food Technology magazine, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), an in-depth article looks at the way dessert is evolving from the traditional to the unexpected.