Whether we like it or not, our palates and cravings are probably being shaped by what we see on social media, whether it is on Instagram or TikTok. You see it, you want it, you (might) make it.
So what has been trending on the social platform for most of the year?
1. Cottage cheese
Definitely one of the stranger things to trend on social media in the summer is cottage cheese, previously better known as a bland yet high-protein, diet-friendly ingredient popularised in the 1990s.
Its clumpy appearance notwithstanding, the dairy product has found its place among food influencers, who have trumpeted its versatility – so much so that it eventually found its way into more and more unhinged recipes. Everyone, it seems, wanted to go viral for being the most creative when it comes to using cottage cheese.
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In a story titled “People Are Doing Really Weird Stuff With Cottage Cheese Right Now”, Eater.com writer Amy McCarthy discovered creations such as cottage cheese mixed with mustard as a dip for crudités; a pizza cottage cheese bowl; even chocolate chip cookies spiked with cottage cheese and protein powder.
2. Smash burger tacos, also known as Big Mac tacos
He decided to apply his method for making breakfast tacos – smashing a tortilla into a fried egg cooking in a pan – to create a smash burger taco; adding the ground beef, cheese, lettuce and other accoutrements, before adding the tortilla and then folding it up taco style.
It sounds pretty appealing.
3. Hwachae
Hwachae, or subak hwachae, is typically a combination of fresh fruit, strawberry milk and Sprite, into which plenty of ice is added. It is often enjoyed on hot summer days. Its name means “flower food”, a reference to its feminine aesthetic.
Korean influencer Amy Flamy was one of the first to go viral with her TikTok video of her digging into hwachae; she says she woke up in the middle of the night feeling severely dehydrated and ordered the punch as a treat. “Can’t sleep? Dessert,” she wrote.
The combination of the pastel pink punch and pretty girl mukbang (a Korean term describing videos showing people eating) inspired plenty of copycats and spoofs.
4. Feta eggs
First shared to TikTok by recipe developer Grace Elkus, feta eggs is a simple dish with just two hero ingredients that can be jazzed up with your favoured seasonings; chilli oil and chilli flakes are a firm favourite among the masses.
You crumble full-fat feta into a small pan and allow it to melt over a medium heat, then add seasonings such as the aforementioned chilli oil or even some tomato sauce. Next, you crack in an egg and cover it with a lid until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Cheese and eggs – what is there not to like?
5. Ice cream Fruit Roll-Up
Many 90s kids will remember the sticky Fruit Roll-Up snack of their youth, and so it is no wonder it made a comeback on TikTok.
The snack already went viral once in 2021, when users were freezing their Fruit Roll-Ups directly, but this updated version transforms it with ice cream – into a kind of fruity burrito.
In this hack, the soft and chewy Fruit Roll-Up turns into a crisp layer as it hardens against the ice cream it enrobes. It is like an ice cream mochi, but crunchy.
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Some users tried different wrapping methods, inspired by the many ways to complete a dumpling.
Whatever you try, take heed of the experience of my much younger self: the immense tackiness of the leathery fruit snack pulled out one of my baby teeth, and I reckon a frozen version might just chip a molar.
