Culinary cures: The Sleepy Girl Mocktail and other wellness trends

With a flavour profile reminiscent of grape juice, the beverage has redefined spirit-based nightcaps, replacing the former with wholesome ingredients without compromising a bedtime ritual. Creators typically balance the mocktail’s sweetness with prebiotic soda, topping off this antidote with magnesium powder for added benefits. 

If you’d like to test the efficacy of restlessness’ cure-all, pour half a glass of tart cherry juice over ice, sprinkle with a tablespoon of magnesium powder, and fill with a healthy soda of your choice. 

See also: Fish-tok: The tinned fish trend explored
 

Fermentation often used in heritage cuisines, is being incorporated into the culinary mainstream. An ancient preservation method, fermentation has been noticed by the wellness industry for its positive effects on gut health. Fortifying good bacteria or probiotics in your gut, improving digestion, and increasing immunity are just some of the benefits of fermented foods.

Nurturing gut biomes is at the core of wellness trends, with staples of Asian cuisine like tempeh, kimchi, and miso being viewed in a different, adulated light. A do-it-yourself ethos has been adapted by wellness influencers, including readily available ferments in nutritionally rich rice bowls and promoting diet fortifications on top of prepackaged probiotic supplements. 

Transcending the world of wellness, fermentation, and pickling have also infiltrated the local dining scene. Take, for example, Pickle Dining, a recently opened ferment-forward restaurant or Fafaba, a specialist in all things fermented. 

Those interested can now learn the art of fermentation at Kuno, a fermentory offering classes in lacto-fermentation, wine, tempeh, miso, and kombucha-making. It also platforms culturally specific fermented foods, providing thosai, idli, and appam-making lessons. 

For more information, visit @kuno.my on Instagram.

Don't miss: Fermentation is at the forefront of Pickle Dining, located within the heart of Chinatown
 

Social media has always emphasised skincare. Bakuchiol, retinol, snail mucin—you name it— have been hero ingredients of trending serums and exfoliators, but nurturing from the inside out is seeing a steady incline. Meet TikTok’s newest saving grace: sea moss.

Sea moss or Irish moss is a type of algae that has garnered attention after being platformed by plant-based communities as a vegan superfood and for more commonly being an emulsifier in commercially produced foods. Rich in zinc, vitamin B2, magnesium, the list goes on, many digital content creators have been adding tablespoons of sea moss gel to their routines. In its purest form, sea moss is texturally similar to algae with briny notes evocative of oysters or clams. 

Be it in smoothies, soups, or stews, the tide pool-native seaweed has found its way into Kim Kardashian’s and Hailey Bieber’s breakfasts. Sea moss has been touted for its anti-inflammatory properties, especially for combatting acne, eczema, and psoriasis without the use of steroidal medication. Flavoured variants are slowly appearing on shelves and in online stores, proliferating the availability of natural remedies in the wellness mainstream.

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