Over 2.5 million YouTube followers and counting. Hannah Hart is a social media maven and has turned her love for food into her latest show on Cooking Channel – I Hart Food – where she travels the country trying out regional specialties. She stopped by Us Weekly’s studios in New York City and was game to try everything from Cheeto-flavored macarons to purple yam (also known as ube) ice cream. Watch the video above to see what the Hannahlyze This podcast host had to say about the latest food trends.
“I mean, I live in Los Angeles. So, I think regardless of whether or not it’s intentional, I’m pretty beholden to trends,” the YouTube host told Us. “If I go somewhere, and suddenly there’s avocados on everything, I’m like, ‘Well, I guess there’s avocados on everything.’”
First up, we had her try dessert with a salty twist: Cheeto macarons from Macaron Parlour in New York City. This cookie actually came about as a joke when the co-owner and chef, Christina Ha, ordered a cheese powder online that she was intrigued by. She didn’t know what to do with the bright orange powder that came, but Halloween was right around the corner, and she and husband, Simon Tung, decided to make Cheeto macarons to give away to trick-or-treaters. They ended up being such a hit, they became a regular staple on the menu.
So, what did Hart think of the cheese-dusted French pastry? “I’m picking up heavily on notes of – it’s a macaron. With a slight aftertaste of: Is that a Cheeto? Wow. I mean, I’m not going to lie, the Cheeto dust might be the best part.”
Next we had Hart try an ice cream with a Southeast Asian origin: ube from Flip Sigi in New York City. She had only positive things to say about the purple dessert: “I love ube. I love ube-flavored things. I like the taste of actual things, you know? We so often have flavored things that are meant to taste like something. But, I like the taste of the actual thing.”
Will the rosé all day trend be here to stay in 2018? We hope so. According to our food trend expert, “Sparkling rosé is tops.” She and Senior Reporter Travis Cronin shared a Martini & Rossi sparkling rosé and agreed that Bloody Mary’s at brunch should be replaced by a nice, light and refreshing rosé.
The final trend: poke bowls from NYC staple Seamore’s. “What I love about trends like this, is that it brings fresh, healthy food to people who maybe wouldn’t necessarily go and grab it because they’re looking for something fast,” Hart said.
Be sure to catch Hart on I Hart Food on Cooking Channel, and in her new podcast Hannahlyze This: The Self Help Podcast That Just Can’t Help Itself. For more info on both shows, watch our exclusive interview in the video above.
