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"  Unlike fashion trends, food trends can feel kind of pointless. Because while there&amp;#039;s a good reason you don&amp;#039;t want to wear your grandmother&amp;#039;s clothes, there&amp;#039;s good reason you absolutely do want to eat her fried chicken. Great flavors never go out of style. But at their best, food trends can get you thinking about ingredients in new ways or bring new life to boring dishes. That&amp;#039;s why the trend toward black varieties of everyday ingredients that&amp;#039;s been cropping up on menus and in blogs lately is so much more enjoyable than the latest super-food du jour. It&amp;#039;s all about bringing striking presentations and flavors to the dishes you know and love. \u2028 1. Black Rice  Popular in China, but relatively uncommon in the U.S., black rice (also known as &amp;quot;forbidden rice&amp;quot;) has a deep black hue but tastes and cooks more or less like brown rice \u2014 perfect for giving your favorite rice dishes a little more visual appeal. In this dish, black rice serves as a lovely base for roasted veggies, making a wonderful vegan meal. \u2028Get the recipe for black rice and roasted vegetables with romesco sauce on  Beard and Bonnet. 2. Black Barley  Originally from Ethiopia, black barley is a newcomer to the States. It has a nutty taste and a striking black sheen, but its chewy texture isn&amp;#039;t for everyone. Try pairing black barley with bright, crisp ingredients like purslane and watermelon. \u2028Get the recipe for black barley, purslane, and watermelon salad on  Healthy Green Kitchen. \u20283. Squid Ink \u2028  \u2028Squid ink has long been a favorite of Spanish and Italian chefs looking to imbue their carbs with a striking color. You should know, though, that the stuff most often sold as squid ink actually hails from  the cuttlefish. In squid and/or cuttlefish ink you&amp;#039;ll find not only the means of making everything from pasta to soups the color of the night sky, you&amp;#039;ll also find a subtle, yet distinct, hint of brine and sea. Squid ink is rich in glutamates (think of the mysterious appeal of MSG without the weird chemicals) and is considered an excellent source of umami. This simple approach to homemade squid ink pasta will ensure you knock fresh pasta out of the park. \u2028\u2028Get the recipe for homemade squid ink pasta on  A Beautiful Mess. 4. Black Sesame Seeds  Nuttier than the off-white kind you see atop hamburger buns, black sesame seeds are an excellent addition to a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savory. Look for fresh, high-quality seeds, available at most specialty markets. Once you&amp;#039;ve obtained your deep-hued seeds, try them on everything from pastries to fish to salad. In this crunchy fresh salad, black sesame seeds contrast with the sweetness of raw carrots and the pleasant pop of edamame. \u2028Get the recipe for black sesame carrot salad with edamame and avocado on  The First Mess. \u2028 5. Black Garlic   Black garlic starts out as regular old garlic but after a month of heating and fermentation, it becomes soft and coal black. While its appearance is surprising, the true novelty is in the flavor, which is layered with umami, sweetness, and earthiness. Black garlic works especially well with meaty and earthy ingredients, like the cod and mushrooms in this easy yet sophisticated seafood recipe. Get the recipe for black garlic, sesame, and shiitake cod fillets on  Cooking with Books. \u20286. Wild Rice  Can&amp;#039;t find black rice in your town? Just afraid of eating rice that&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;forbidden?&amp;quot; Don&amp;#039;t worry, black varieties of wild rice are pretty common and work just as well for nearly any recipe you want to make. Wild rice isn&amp;#039;t technically rice, but, like rice, it makes for a satisfying base for vegetable or meat dishes. You can serve it hot, but it&amp;#039;s also excellent cold like in this wild rice salad with dandelion greens. Get the recipe for wild rice salad with dandelion greens on  Brooklyn Supper. \u20287. Beluga Lentils  Named for their similarity in appearance to beluga caviar when cooked, beluga lentils are prized for their texture, which is much firmer than the mushy brown lentils you may be most familiar with. Their taste and texture make them an excellent choice for salads and stews, and their striking color also makes them a good option for an edible garnish. Try them in this healthy, filling salad. \u2028Get the recipe for beluga lentil salad with hearts of palm and avocado on  Taste, Love, and Nourish. \u2028 8. Black Radishes   Only the skin of the black radish is black. The flesh is as white as the radishes we&amp;#039;re all used to. Don&amp;#039;t let that fool you into thinking they taste the same, though. Black radishes have a strong horseradish bite that makes them a great contrast to sweet flavors or complement to savory ones. Try them in this quinoa salad made with roasted grapes for a perfect spicy-sweet combination. Get the recipe for black radish quinoa salad with roasted grapes on  Brooklyn Supper. \u2028 9. Blackberries \u2028  \u2028Blackberries are the largest berry and can be found both at the store and growing wild in much of the country. Blackberries are pretty perfect all by themselves, but they also lend their tangy sweet perfection to a host of baked goods, salads, and cocktails. Make this easy blackberry cocktail and get in on the hype. Get the recipe for blackberry lime cocktails on  Brooklyn Supper. \u2028 10. Black Mission Figs  Black mission figs are widely regarded as the best figs for eating fresh, but they&amp;#039;re wonderful for cooking and baking, too. This intensely flavored homemade jam contrasts the fig&amp;#039;s delightful sweetness with the complex sweet-and-sour flavors of balsamic vinegar. Get the recipe for black mission fig and balsamic jam on  Wonky Wonderful. 11. Black Raspberries \u2028  Fragile black raspberries are the fleetingest of fleeting summer pleasures, generally only appearing in markets for a few weeks. Make the most of that time by buying as many as you can afford and cranking out black raspberry dessert after black raspberry dessert. Start with this black raspberry and  cr\u00E8me fra\u00EEche ice cream and then make a black raspberry tart. \u2028 Get the recipe for this black raspberry tart on  Brooklyn Supper. Elizabeth Stark is a food writer with a passion for seasonal food, great desserts, and inadvisable wine pairings. Read more on her blog,  Brooklyn Supper.  Follow Elizabeth on  Twitter,  Pinterest, and  Facebook. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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