TikTok trends from dances to the latest fashions often seem to blow up on our ‘for you pages’ out of nowhere. One minute we are cutting our own hair, and the next we are trying to become Gordon Ramsey. Recently on the app, users have been doing the latter, as we experience a boom in viral food hacks and recipes.
There will often be occasions where we scroll past a video of someone experimenting in the kitchen, but when we see our favourite influencers recreating these videos, allowing us to discover that some of them really do work, this is when a trend really blows up.
YouTube channel SORTED Food, which launched in 2010, is among many popular channels which are recreating and trying some of TikTok’s most famous recipes. The creators behind SORTED Food have shared multiple videos to their 2.46 million subscribers informing them about the latest TikTok trends, popular UK influencer Saffron Barker is also among those who have tried and tested the trending delights, with her video ‘Trying VIRAL TikTok food hacks!’ gaining over 1.6 million views.
But what are the latest trends on everyone’s lips? (Literally).
Dalgona coffee
Arguably, the viral recipes on TikTok began to rise when COVID-19 struck in March 2020. We were bored at home, and some of the only things we could do were cooking, eating and going on TikTok. Put these activities together, and what better venture is there to embark on than creating recipes and sharing them with your TikTok followers.
During the spring, the must-have, super refreshing and caffeinated drink that blew up on our for you pages was dalgona coffee. With our favourite coffee shops closed, and an increased need for caffeine to get us through the long lockdown days, TikTok users went crazy for the coffee recipe that looked impressive but is easy to make with ingredients we all have in our homes.
The origins of the whipped, sweet coffee recipe started in Korea, but the simplicity of the process and the fancy Starbucks-esque aesthetic made dalgona the perfect TikTok video worthy beverage.
Little Moons
Have you managed to get your hands on Little Moons? If you have, there are certainly many people who envy you. Despite the brand launching in 2011, it was during January 2021 that sales of Little Moons at Tesco rose by 700%.
Now, with the TikTok hashtag #LittleMoons gaining over 158.2 million views, it is clear that there has been an influx of customers sweeping these Japanese-style mochi ice-cream balls off of the supermarket shelves. Many customers have been disappointed when they get to the supermarket and find an empty freezer space behind the Little Moons tag, so TikTok users are flipping the trend to document their creation of homemade Little Moons.
It is likely that the unintentional free marketing that Little Moons have received from their sweet treat going viral on TikTok will mean the brand experiencing their busiest summer yet – thank goodness they recently opened a brand new London factory. The facilities at the new factory should allow the Little Moons team to produce approximately 72 million mochis per year. Let’s hope this is enough to keep up with the TikTok user demand.
Baked feta pasta
Those with more of a savoury tooth may have recently been attracted to the baked feta cheese pasta trend popular among TikTok users. The hashtag #FetaPasta has 607.7 million views and counting. Even American popstar, Lizzo, has jumped on the trend, recreating her own high protein vegan version of the pasta dish – where there is a will, there is a way.
Potentially, the key to these trends blowing up is the fact that they aren’t out of reach – especially after a Little Moons supermarket restock. The ingredients used in these viral recipes are ones that we have at hand in our cupboards and the methods are simple. If you can learn a new recipe by watching a 15-second TikTok videos rather than a one-hour-long cooking show on the television, then why wouldn’t you?
Another positive outcome of viral TikTok trends, not just those surrounding food, is that when millions of users follow the hype, it creates a sense of community. During a time where many of us are unable to connect with others in person, getting involved with popular activities online provides us with a taste of the community and connection that we are craving.
