Black food is no health revolution. Watch what you eat

What does the overtly imaginative world do when green begins to get boring? It reinvents black and puts it on our plates!

There was a lot of brouhaha, but I seriously resisted biting into and writing about black burgers when they came out - and succeeded too, thinking they were just another new fangled fad and would pass soon enough.

But last week when someone called me to ask how "healthy" black food was, I knew I just had to write to clarify.

The thing is, I believe when black dominates the Halloween costumes - that's fine. Similarly an LBD or black chiffon in the wardrobe… works!

And a neat big black bag is arm candy for sure. But trying to pass off "ebony on the plates" as the latest "nutrition" trend somehow does not cut it, at all.

Food trend, maybe yes. But nutrition? Well, not when the foods that are supposedly part of this wave aren't even accessible and available locally.

Agreed.

Today, black cuisine is being served in top restaurants and fast food joints around the world. From burgers to macaroons, even croissants and detox juices - it's all going goth.

In Japan, there are some bona fide black foods which offer nutritional benefits: a cocoa drink spiked with black soybeans, and a black-soybean tea that was even granted the FOSHU (foods for specified health use) status.

In US, a black sesame seed cereal and even an ice-cream made black with the liberal use of sesame seeds is available.

In Europe, people get together and eat only black foods and call it dirty dining, and the menu features stuff like eggs boiled in black tea and dipped in sesame seeds.

But mostly it is just a trend meant to excite the palate.

Case in point - the squid ink and cumin croissant available at Melbourne.

Foods that are genuinely black - or deeply hued - because of natural plant pigments called anthocyanins are the real deal, because then they do much more than just provide the colour to the palate.

The pigment (anthocyanins) that makes blueberries blue, cherries red and blackberries black (or almost black) bestows them with anti-inflammatory properties that offers protection against heart disease and cancer.

But if it is done just for the sake of jumping on the trend bandwagon (which seems to be the case mostly) then it makes the food simply weird (and not any healthier).

Yes, I am talking about those black burgers, where charcoal or squid ink is used to make black buns, and also about those kitschy black bagels, pizza bases, pasta, lemonades, which are all over the Instagram feed these days.

Well, charcoal food isn't necessarily a new concept, it's been popping up on the wellness scene for a few years now, with people raving about its numerous health benefits, including teeth whitening, digestive cleansing, detoxification.

There are tablets as well, which supposedly absorb toxins and are commonly used to treat cases of alcohol poisoning or drug overdose. But please don't expect your gluttonous burger to do that.

In fact, I say, of all the whacky nutritional trends/ advice of 2016 going around, this one is the least photogenic, and the most scatterbrained.

So steer clear. According to me, black food and drinks are having a moment. Let it stay just that.

What works

That said what you can/must target to plate are these bona fide healthy black foods:

Black mushrooms: Target shiitake, wood ear and black trumpet; easily found in Asian speciality shops.

Nigella seeds: These tiny jet-black seeds, called black onion seeds have a nutty, peppery flavour and have been traditionally used as seasoning for vegetables, beans and bread (including naan).

Blackberries: These deeply hued berries are higher in antioxidants than all other fruits.

Black rice: Contains more fibre and nutrients compared to white, brown and red rice.

Black lentils: Lobhia (black eyed peas) and whole moong dal (kali dal).

Black garlic: A longtime staple in Korean dishes, known for its health benefits (white garlic goes through a heating and drying process, slowly caramelising to create this flavourful variation). Try with stir fries or on buttered bread.

Some other options are black tea, black pepper, black vinegar, black olives and black licorice.

Fill up on all these to get the real ebony advantage.