How viral foods impact the food spectrum and could influence the way you consume food
Over the course of the pandemic, the urge to seek at-home activities has risen. One of those activities is creating viral food videos thanks to the influence of social media sites like Tik Tok and Instagram that have transformed the way we view and consume food.
“Food trends are very much a product of how consumers dine and where, which is influenced by a range of factors, from technology to pop culture, the economy, and the modern workplace,” according to Restaurant and Catering Magazine.
Many industries have jumped on the impact that food trends offer. On Mar. 26th, HBO Max started a series with food Youtuber Rosano Pansino called Baketopia, which uses food trends as the basis of competition.
The first episode of the series fleshed out the ongoing trend of putting alcohol into deserts as contestants were tasked with making a cocktail into a cupcake. In the final round of the competition, contestants were tasked with creating a cake with a gelatin element in the design.
In addition, #foodtiktok has become a popular trend that has seen certain recipes go viral on the platform. Take the infamous feta pasta recipe, for example, which involves baking feta, olive oil and other desired ingredients into a creamy pasta sauce. Many variations of this 2020 trend can now be found all over the internet.
Dalgona coffee is another trend that broke the internet in early 2020. The recipe involves whipping instant coffee grounds with hot water in order to achieve a fluffy texture, pouring milk into the glass with a couple of ice cubes, and snapping a picture once it is ready.
Another recent food trend is called a “magic shell,” which involves making a hard chocolate shell over a smoothie bowl. The process involves melting the chocolate of your choice with coconut oil. As the chocolate dries, it creates a hard shell barrier above your smoothie.
Though these trends may seem like a new phenomenon, they have been around for a while. While people have been more keen to try these trends in quarantine, the popularity of photogenic food has been steadily growing for years due to factors such as the birth of Instagram in 2010.
Shows such as Netflix’s “Nailed It,” where contestants recreate baking confections that are highly Instagramable or possess the potential of becoming viral on Pinterest, have capitalized on the growing interest in photogenic food.
Youtube has also been a driving force in foodie culture as Buzzfeed shows like “Worth it” have transformed the ideal dining experience. Channels like Food Insider highlight the best food in each state and shine a light on modern food journalism.
The internet plays a huge role in the way humans eat and how they develop eating habits. A study conducted by Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences in the UK, “found that college students ate more fruit and vegetables if they believed their social media peers did the same. The same was true of negative dietary habits. College students indulged in more junk food if they perceived that their social media contacts did.”
The good and the bad influences of food culture will have a direct impact on the dietary trends that will arise in future. But for now, it is safe to assume that the phone eats first culture is here to stay.