As food trends come and go, this one's pretty enticing and moreover, mysterious. We all know how beneficial it is to eat green foods, but these magical food items are a different ball game altogether and have become a trend on social media. While you could opt for black food colouring to achieve the same effect, plenty of food options exist in this dark hue. Why black-hued foods have caught on is due to the sudden emergence of bitter, charred ingredients and the elevation of activated charcoal as a health food. There are plenty of ingredients that happen to be black, such as black garlic or black truffle, but it isn't just the flavour that is attractive to chefs. Many admit that the visual statement black ingredients make on the platter is a major part of the appeal. Sensationally coloured foods are an exception to the rule though.

Earlier, black ice cream was a massive social media sensation, thanks especially to the glossy, black coconut ash ice cream, followed up by goth soft serves. In a tradition which started in the early 2000s, April 14 is celebrated as Black Day, the antithesis of Valentine's Day, wherein single women and men wear black clothes and eat black bean noodles. Chef Dipu Thomas, Executive Chef, Elior India says how black food is lighting up the culinary world.