The Most Innovative Culinary People of 2016

2016 hasn't been a great year for humans. All our favorite ones died and a good handful of the worst specimens ended up in positions of major power.

But things are always better in the world of food—and not just because there's usually the option to grate mozzarella on things or use a mini blowtorch. This year, we met inspiring chefs, bartenders, local cafe owners, people working tirelessly to combat our food security problems, and those trying to build stronger communities through what we eat.

Here are some of our favorite food people of 2016 and all the good stuff they bought to the table over the past 12 months.

First, to prove that humanity isn't totally doomed, let's revisit the heroes who made the world a better place with food. Tristram Stuart caught our attention back in January with his ingenious idea of turning discarded bread into beer. More than just another craft beer venture, Stuart's Toast Brewery aims to "start a global movement of using bread to make beer." We're down for that.

Also turning a universally loved item into a force for good is Bruno Abate, founder of a culinary school that operates from Cook County Jail in Chicago. Abate teaches inmates the skills they need to work in a professional kitchen, aiding with their rehabilitation when they reenter the community. An item always on the menu at the jail's cafe is pizza, something Naples-born Abate knows a thing or two about.

Another food professional sharing his skills for the benefit of others is Chris Lowder, a bartender in Seoul who hit the headlines this month after he decided to share his best drinks recipe secrets. For free. According to Lowder, "a more knowledgeable workforce means that more guests have a better experience when they dine out, and that positivity does reinforce a culture where more people are encouraged to spend their money in bars and restaurants." Amen to that.

This year also saw great chefs pushing culinary boundaries—and with delicious endings. Two such titans collided when everyone's favorite Canadian Matty Matheson cooked with London chef Lee Tiernan at his tiny kebab restaurant. The result? Big Mac pizza. What else.

The MUNCHIES test kitchen was graced by some real food innovators this year. We had Action Bronson's right-hand man Meyhem Lauren share his best turkey recipe, the gals from Ovenly showing us how to bake a ballin' pumpkin pie (pro tip: toasted marshmallow fluff), Jamie Bissonnette making sausages with Seth Rogan, and hip-hop chef E-Dubble whipping up the world's best omelette.

We also had Mario Batali stop by on the regular to dish out delicious Italian food for his all-star friends. If a man who rocks orange Crocs while making ravioli for Jimmy Fallon doesn't represent innovation in food, we don't know what does.

We also shone a light on the lesser known food dons this year—the ones who might not have a Food Network show but create banging dishes nonetheless. People like Sharon Taylor, who opened Blackpool's first Caribbean cafe, Arthur Woodham, an East End cafe owner in his 76th year of service, and Mehmet Murat, who sells premium Cypriot olive oil from an electrical shop in Clerkenwell. Further afield, we met Mexico City gravediggers who perform one of the hardest jobs in the city, but still find time to share lunches of beef liver tacos and beer. We were also lucky enough to track down Shinji Nohara, a.k.a. Tokyo Fixer. Stick with this guy and you'll be sure to eat some of the best soba in Japan,

Of course, no end-of-year list would be complete without a few mavericks. Let's remember the wild cards who made our 2016 a little weirder.

Shout outs are first in order for Dominique Ansel, creator of original Frankenpastry the Cronut and now on a mission to take over the world with next-level patisserie. Like banana paella. Yes, really.

On the subject of food-mashups-that-shouldn't-work-but-totally-do, let's take a moment to relive the glory of the pho-stuffed burrito. LA chef Erwin Tjahyadi's Vietnamese Mexican crossover might sound bad but who can argue with al dente rice noodles, sriracha sauce, and rib-eye beef poached in pho broth and wrapped in a burrito?

Honorable mentions for fusion food innovators must also go to San Francisco bartender Jacques Bezuidenhou, inventor of the cocoa puff negroni, and Ross Canter, who brought the Cheetos cookie into the world.

But the last word must go to someone with a uniquely innovative approach to drinking. When we asked Dutch partygoer and tattoo artist Henk Schiffmacher for some advice on boozing, he shared this sage tidbit, which is worth sharing in mind as we descend into the festive season: "Don't clean while you're drunk, change any light bulbs, or get on step stools."

Now go: eat, drink, and be very merry. So long, 2016!