Why true luxury is in the simplest and most authentic ingredients
In this digitally connected world, it seems that the most recherché ingredients can be summoned instantly at the touch of a button and that all that is needed to get anything your heart desires is a reasonable bank balance and to remember your CVC code. It is therefore easy to settle into a sense of ennui and to lose sight of the value of things.
Like a cad and a rake who only values the girl in the getting and not in the having, we risk no longer appreciating items purely because we have not had to complete Herculean feats to obtain them. Added to this greater awareness of the evils of UPFs and PFAS and it is no wonder that Innova Market Insights reports that consumers are turning to fresh, “clean” foods with around 30% reducing their purchasing of processed ingredients. Couple this with a greater public understanding of the effect of seasonality on taste and emotional connections with our food as markers across the year’s calendar, powerfully linked with nostalgia and ritual; it is not so surprising that the consumer wants to return to what they know and trust.
Xanthe Clay has written eloquently on the subject of why she doesn’t want British strawberries at Christmas despite their now year-round availability courtesy of The Summer Berry Company (who have invested in cutting-edge technology to grow them in hothouses near Chichester). Just because we can obtain something whenever we want it doesn’t mean we should. I love blood oranges both for their uniquely sweet and bright taste but also because they represent a burst of joy in their flavour and flushed colour amongst gloom of January and February, a reason actively to look forward to this time of year, especially when the season for them is so short. The focus, therefore, in the pursuit of luxury and sense of something special can turn to those things than have the strongest sense of genius loci – an item that captures in material form the spirit of a place and transports us there via its unique provenance and flavour.
I have been very fortunate to travel all over the world trying all manner of cuisines. Most of them can be recreated at home with a bit of effort, sometimes with recourse to the online Aladdin’s cave that is Sous Chef – a wonderful repository of hard-to-find ingredients from around the world. There is one item, however, it has been impossible for me to find without actually travelling back to the region from whence it comes: the fresh New Mexican chile. I spent a wonderful three months in Santa Fe, New Mexico and it was there that my pallid English palate learnt to appreciate the complexity and fire of this wonderful fruit (as indeed it is rather than a more commonly-supposed vegetable). The unique terrior of the region with its climate of dry heat, especially in the Hatch Valley, creates an unparalleled crop that simply can’t be recaptured in dried form. The memory of the taste and difficulty to obtain it again creates a longing I know would not be there if I could just pick them up in Waitrose.
The answer, then, to what constitutes true luxury today does indeed seem to lie in simplicity and authenticity. The Japanese – who have perfected the art of honouring and finding the greatest value and meaning in simplicity – have long known this with their traditional custom of gifting the most perfect fruit. Cultivated for an unblemished appearance, exquisite taste and surprising elements, rare delicacies such as the square watermelon can be found there and white strawberries were first grown in the country.
In an increasingly chaotic and uncertain world, we return to what we’ve first known, valued and appreciated whether that be our original experience of summer-filled berries or the crisp, clean taste of a perfectly ripe apple. A positive view to take for 2026: the year in which the greatest treasure is found in your garden or allotment. If you don’t have those, The Newt, Riverford or Abel & Cole will bring a box of treasures to your door that can truly deliver on a promise of glowing health, vitamin wealth and culinary happiness.
Read more from Katharine Macdonald: Scenting the Dawn of 2026 – The Sloaney
