We take color inspiration from everywhere—food included! A lot of delicious dishes and ingredients we encounter come in the most vibrant and delicate hues. And today, we’re all here to appreciate just a handful of the wonderful colors some of our most beloved food comes in. Here are 5 colors inspired by food served as a 3-course meal. It includes suggestions on how you can use them (the colors, not the food) in your home too.
Appetizers
1. Spinach Salad: Dark Green
Let’s start the meal with something light. Leafy vegetables come in a range of green colors and I’m a fan of spinach’s darker hue. (Bonus, it gets an even darker and richer hue when it’s cooked!)
Throw in some bright red cherry tomatoes, pale slices of parmesan cheese, a drizzling of balsamic vinegar, and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Even just a few elements can combine to make a good salad and the same is true if you want dark green in your room. Try it with natural wood and cream-colored textiles.
Read The Best Version of Hue: Green.
2. Hummus Dip: Beige
Hummus may be a little difficult to acquire in Metro Manila but it’s almost always worth the search. This dip is made of mashed chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini (a Middle Eastern sesame seed paste). A swirl of olive oil when it’s plated and it’s ready for your pita bread.
With its beige color, you would assume it would taste bland. Not at all. Hummus has a rich taste that’s packed with umami flavor. Similar to hummus, beige can also seem unassuming. But, it’s actually a great color to have in your arsenal as it’s a no-fail pick for walls and furniture. Your color inspiration is just a dip away!
Main course
3. Samgyeopsal: Pink
Get color inspired with your next meal out. More than just a place to eat, a samgyupsal restaurant is an experience as well. There’s trying out every one of the side dishes, grilling the meat on the table, sharing the cooked cuts of pork and beef with family and friends, and walking out of the restaurant with the smell of meat on your clothes.
Before you hear that satisfying sizzle of meat on a hot grill, you see its distinctive red, pink, and white layers on the metal platter. Let’s focus on pink. Soft pink can create a calming and peaceful atmosphere when used in a room. So, don’t be afraid to add more pink in your life, boys and girls. If you’re still a little hesitant, try balancing it with traditionally masculine colors like dark grays and greens, and accentuate with gold.
Read The Best Version of Hue: Pink.
Dessert
4. Philippine Mangoes: Yellow
As Filipinos, we’re proud of our mangoes. Ripe Philippine mangoes are addictingly sweet and sometimes come with just the right amount of tanginess. You know it’s a good summer when the mango tree bears so much fruit you have to give bags of it away to the neighbors.
The Philippine mango is a no-brainer color for color inspiration too. Who can resist its bright, sunny yellow? Amazing on their own and in desserts (like in the eternal mango graham cake), mangoes can bring joy just by being themselves. Yellow is the same! A pop of yellow can instantly add a bit of brightness to a room, even if it’s something as simple as daisies in a pretty vase.
Read The Best Version of Hue: Yellow.
5. Milk tea: Light Brown
Wherever you are in the metro, there’s bound to be a milk tea joint within a short distance from you. A quick search on a food delivery app can confirm it. Versatile in its sweetness, refreshingly cold, and often with the fun addition of something to chew on like boba, milk tea melts away all sweet tooth cravings. Handed to you in a tall cup with a fat straw, even the silhouette of milk tea is iconic.
A neutral brown makes for a good wall color in most rooms in the home. It’s not too bright and not too dark which then creates a calming and inviting space. Don’t dismiss it as dull either. Its strength is that it goes well with almost any other color.
Read The Best Version of Hue: Brown.
Foodies will know that there’s more to good food than its taste. There’s a lot more we can appreciate about food including how it’s able to add a little color into our lives—both figuratively and literally. So, what’s for lunch?
Feeling full on inspiration yet? Hoping this 3-course color meal has left you satisfied! If you’re craving for more, check out the Color Inspirations section of Let It B. When you’re ready to paint, Boysen has a wide selection of paint colors for you to choose from.
