New Delhi, Dec. 26 -- It was an exciting year for the food and beverage industry from culinary innovations that saw matcha ladoos and caviar bumps, to AI-powered kitchen automation complete with waiter robots, a dozen more speakeasies, and Indian restaurants shining bright with Michelin stars and on 50 Best lists. These highlights are by no means exhaustive, but capture some of the things we loved, cheered, and often didn't quite understand, and yet happily played along with the hype.

Some said it tasted like grass, others just couldn't get enough of it. Matcha is a classic example of a wellness fad that took over our lives with lattes, ice-creams and desserts, and even savoury fusion dishes (did we say matcha dosa tacos?). The demand ke...