It’s fair to say that food trends vary from the sublime to the ridiculous, which is why some last the distance while others disappear. From chickpea water meringues to kombucha, here's an insight into what's having its well-deserved (or not) time in the spotlight.

Chickpea water has been around since, well, tinned chickpeas but the murky liquid has come into its own since it was discovered to be a good vegan substitute for egg whites. Find it in mayo, meringues, ice creams, marshmallows, cakes and frothed on top of cocktails.

In November 2018, Forbes predicted a rise in automation, with robots on hand to not only serve food and drinks, but make it too. CafeX robotic coffee bars have appeared in San Francisco, while Spyce in Boston, Massachusetts, is the "world’s first restaurant featuring a robotic kitchen that cooks complex meals". A shiny bright future or the beginning of a dystopian nightmare?

It’s about time Burmese cuisine got the recognition it deserved. This underrated Asian cuisine is synonymous with a heady balance of salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavours in curries, soups and noodle dishes. With restaurants such as Lahpet in London and Burmese Bites in New York, expect Burmese food’s rise to be a steady one.

We’ve already seen a rise in bitter cocktails – Aperol spritz and negronis are two examples – and in British supermarket Waitrose's annual food and drink trends report for 2019, experts predicted that bitter foods are next. Expect to see more chargrilled meat, coffee and dark chocolate gracing restaurant menus and dinner party spreads.

Cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, is one of the chemical compounds found in hemp cannabis plants and is anticipated to be one of the biggest up-and-coming food and drink trends. CBD purportedly has calming and pain-relieving properties without the high associated with the cannabis plant’s psychoactive qualities. Look out for CBD tasting menus, cocktails, chocolate, sweets, smoothies and sodas.

One of the strongest, and what looks to be the most enduring, trends is plant-based eating, as more and more people eat less meat on ethical, environmental and health grounds. This doesn’t necessarily mean going vegan. It’s about adopting a flexitarian approach to food where animal and fish protein is eaten occasionally. This is being made all the easier by the great number of plant-based products coming to market. Need some inspiration? We love this vegan mac 'n' cheese.

From reusable bags and beeswax wrapping, to eco-friendly food packaging and paper or stainless steel straws, we’ll be seeing more and more multi-use packaging as we move away from plastic. When Whole Foods unveiled eco-conscious packaging one of its top 10 food trends for 2019, a press statment commented, "Some movements start as trends, then become necessities." Looking to make a change? Find out our favourite reusable coffee cups and the best water bottles.

Already a big part of African, Caribbean and Middle Eastern cuisine, goat is starting to show up on European and American menus. It's in part down to the international success of Goatober, which promotes eating the young male goats usually discarded by the diary industry. Seen as an ethical and sustainable use of resources (the goats are destined for euthanasia if they don't produce milk), currently more than 100 restaurants in the US have signed up, with that figure expected to rise.

As we learn more about the difference between good (healthy) fats and bad (artery-blocking) ones, and fat-focused diets such as keto become more commonplace, we’ll see more healthy fat products such as MCT oil-based nutrition bars, grass-fed ghee popcorn, avocado hummus and vegan ‘butter’ coffee.

As plant-based eating becomes more popular, vegetables move from being the side dish to the main event. Think aubergine or mushroom 'steaks' marinated in oil and spices and baked; whole heads of roast cauliflower; and beetroot carpaccio. We love this showstopper spiced roast cauliflower with pomegranate and a tahina dressing.

According to food trends insight manager Helen Arpino, who works for British brand Marks & Spencer, "The global fermented drinks market is in huge growth" so expect to see beverages like kombucha (fermented tea) and kefir (fermented milk) becoming more widely available. The fizzy stuff is supposed to be great for your gut health.

To add to the current dairy-free milk options (like coconut, oat, nut and soya), there are now alternative milks made from peanuts, flax seeds and peas. Mighty Society’s version (pictured) which is made from yellow split peas, has 50% more calcium than cows’ milk and 40% less sugar, and contains vitamins D and B12. Check out our straightforward guide to alternative milks here.

The trend for low or no alcohol drinks remains stronger than ever with mocktails given the same reverence as their alcoholic counterparts, more 'dry' bars opening, and retailers selling low or no alcohol versions of beer, wine and spirits. If you're cutting down on the strong stuff, give these zero-booze cocktails a go: apple mockjito and snickertini.

A herbaceous plant that's a regular ingredient in parts of Asia, pandan is gaining a following further afield. Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson raved about pandan in 2017 after noticing more and more people in America baking with pandan essence. It’s increasingly being used to flavour and colour dishes such as pancakes, rice, curries and ice cream, and drinks such as iced tea.

Retail with a conscience is growing. Shoppers are showing that they not only care about a company's animal welfare or eco credentials, but whether small suppliers benefit. For example, Whole Planet Foundation is a non-profit foundation that partners with brands such as Chobani and Naked Juice to help pull people out of poverty by providing microloans for start-ups.

Jackfruit appears in South Asian cuisine and has become steadily more popular in the west, especially in vegan and vegetarian cooking. Enjoyed because of its meaty texture, it’s used as a substitute for pulled pork and in burgers, fried chicken and chilli.

As the importance of gut health gains traction, everything from nut butters to soup and ice cream are given a good dose of probiotics. Just read the label first – for the product to be effective, look for live and active cultures.

It’s been around for centuries but orange wine is only now catching the eye of oenophiles looking for something a little different. It’s white wine which has been made in contact with grape skins (which is how red wine is made), and has the added benefit of being more naturally processed. Expect big and bold wines that are a little funky too. Learn more with our guide to everything you wanted to ask about wine but were too afraid to ask.

Rum has lacked the mainstream popularity of gin and vodka but demand for this spirit is mounting with sales up by 7.9% in 2018. Quality, small-batch craft rums are on the rise and rum bars are also proving a hit. New York’s Edison Hotel’s The Rum House and London’s Burlock are two rum-focused hangouts.

Nut butters have a new cousin in town – seed butters. While sesame seed-based tahini has been around forever, it’s now being joined by sunflower, pumpkin and watermelon seed butters. Opt for ones with no added ingredients and a bit of salt.

There's more of an obsession with sleep and so-called 'sleep health' than ever before so it’s not surprising that the food and drink market is getting in on the action. Customers can buy sleep-inducing products such as Som Sleep, a melatonin-based drink, Nightfood ice cream which contains sleep-aid minerals such as magnesium, and sleepy teas containing herbs such as chamomile and valerian that encourage slumber.

Like Burmese food, Sri Lankan cuisine has stayed under the radar longer than it deserves but is finally winning global fans. On the menu, you'll find rice and curry (the national dish with many different variations) as well as instantly recognisable hoppers, a type of bowl-shaped pancake. The hugely popular Hoppers in London and small UK chain The Coconut Tree are leading the way.

Tahini, a Middle Eastern condiment made from ground sesame seeds, has been having a quiet renaissance for the past few years but is really taking off. Rather than just used in dressings and as a dip, it's being infused into ice cream, chocolate and milkshakes. Try this easy tahina, chocolate and pistachio cheesecake recipe.

Encouraged by campaigns promoting ugly fruit and veg, we're finally coming round to the fact that throwing away misshapen produce is a waste. Manufacturers are using surplus and so-called ugly veg to make foods, start-ups are selling imperfect produce boxes and customers are being advised to see past the surface and straight to the taste.

We're seeing many more meatless meat products now: vegan ‘bleeding’ burgers; pulled jackfruit as a replacement to pulled pork; mushroom-based ‘meats’; and lab-grown meat and fish made from animal and marine life cells, which could eventually eliminate the need for cattle farming, slaughter and fishing. Try this Thai stir-fry with soy-based minced (ground) protein.

Brightly coloured – also known as unicorn – food and drink are still popular and show no signs of dwindling. One of the current multicoloured concoctions are rainbow lattes that come in an array of colours thanks to the addition of beetroot, charcoal, matcha, spirulina and turmeric.

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Cabbage? Really? Often derided for its sogginess and sulphuric smell, cabbage is great when cooked right. The brassica is finally coming into its own as a replacement to carbs if people are trying to cut down. Use it to substitute pasta in lasagna, braise it to create wraps (try this lamb parcels recipe) and make creamed cabbage to replace mashed potatoes. Discover more easy ways to cut carbs here.

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Savoury ice cream isn't a recent craze but what’s used to make it habitually changes. At present, avocado is the choice flavour, with cartons appearing in freezers at Whole Foods and Waitrose in the UK. As its colour and natural creaminess make for a lovely dessert, this trend could run and run.

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