Buzz
It’s undeniable that food trends are captivating to follow. We’ve all witnessed how one food can suddenly become a sensation, showing up everywhere. Or maybe a particular culinary method gains popularity in restaurant kitchens, and soon, it's being served all over the place. In today's age of social media, food fads spread faster than ever before.
Here’s something fascinating: Food trends have been part of culture for centuries, long before the internet, social media, or modern technology came into play. In this article, we’ll explore ten captivating stories about food trends, tracing their rise and fall. These culinary phenomena spread across local, national, and sometimes even global levels, only to eventually fade away after their time in the spotlight.
You might find yourself craving something as you read through this list, so make sure to grab a snack before diving in.
10. Syllabub (1750s)
Let’s rewind to the mid-18th century, deep in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where one of the most beloved after-dinner treats was syllabub. To make this dessert, you needed wine, a source of acid, and heavy cream. Lemons served as the perfect acidic ingredient, and a bit of sugar added sweetness. To start, colonists would whip the cream by hand until it thickened, then incorporate the other ingredients. After more whisking, the mixture would thicken further. The whipped concoction would then be poured into small glasses and stored in a cool place overnight.
Of course, Colonial Williamsburg didn’t have refrigerators! But they made do with ice-filled chests, which kept the mixture cool enough to set and separate into a creamy, delicious syllabub. The following day, the residents could enjoy their perfectly set dessert. Syllabub became the must-have treat at the end of a meal in Williamsburg, and the trend continued for many years, peaking in the 1750s. So, do you think you're brave enough to try making some yourself?
9. Congealed Salad (1930s)
The Great Depression was a challenging time, with very little money and even less food to go around. Families had to stretch what little they had, making do with whatever they could find. And desserts? Well, they were almost a luxury. That is, unless you were willing to dig into a congealed salad...
Now known as Jell-O, this dish in the 1930s was referred to as a congealed salad. It was essentially a mix of random ingredients that set together into a wobbly dish. Recipes ranged from the unusual “Oriental Compote,” which combined peaches, peach juice, rice, and lemon or orange Jell-O, to the odd “Spanish Jell-O Salad,” made with pimentos, pickles, cabbage, vinegar, and lemon Jell-O. All you had to do was let the concoction set and firm up—no oven required!
The beauty of congealed salads was in their flexibility—families could create these jellied treats with just about any ingredients they had on hand. During the Great Depression, when many families struggled with both limited finances and joy, these simple dishes provided a small but significant source of happiness. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Long before 'going viral' was a term, congealed salads became a sensation, capturing the public's attention across Depression-era America. In tough times, sometimes it’s the small things that matter most.
8. Grass (1950s)
We’re all familiar with the health benefits of wheatgrass shots today, but back in the 1950s, an even stranger health fad had a brief moment of fame: grass. In 1956, Ann Wigmore founded the Hippocrates Health Institute, advocating for raw, natural foods as the key to good health. She believed that these foods could even cure various diseases, so she turned to one of nature's purest offerings—wheatgrass—and began promoting it as the ultimate health food.
Post-World War II America wasn’t as well-versed in nutrition as we are now, yet for some reason, Wigmore's message gained immense popularity. Throughout the late 1950s, her teachings spread nationwide, and she became a well-known figure in health circles. She even made absurd claims that wheatgrass could heal broken bones, allegedly based on her own childhood experiences during World War I. Sounds a bit far-fetched, doesn’t it?
Wigmore’s enthusiasm didn’t stop there. She went even further by declaring that wheatgrass was the biblical 'manna,' a gift from God, and she began to refer to herself as Reverend Ann Wigmore. Over time, she claimed that wheatgrass could cure ailments like cancer, arthritis, and even AIDS. While these claims were undoubtedly bogus, the wheatgrass craze persisted for years among America’s most devoted health enthusiasts.
7. Freeze-Dried Space Food (1960s)
In the 1960s, food fads made their way to space! As the Space Race gained momentum, Americans became captivated by the lives of astronauts, especially the way they ate in space. Freeze-dried foods, which astronauts consumed, quickly became a popular trend on Earth as well, with people eager to mimic the space pioneers.
Clever marketers in the early 1960s seized the opportunity presented by the Space Race's surge in public interest. They began freeze-drying and vacuum-sealing various foods, selling them as 'out of this world' dining experiences. Consumers quickly embraced the novelty, taking the bait without hesitation.
While freeze-dried foods existed before the Space Race, their popularity skyrocketed during the 1960s, thanks to the fascination with space exploration. These foods offered benefits like extended shelf life and convenience, but their surge in popularity was driven by the desire to emulate the astronauts. Today, freeze-dried foods are still around, but the once powerful space-themed marketing campaign has mostly faded. It’s hard to compare the ’60s craze to today’s more subdued interest in space-inspired eating.
6. Dirt (1990s)
Yes, you read that right. But to be clear, we’re not talking about ACTUAL dirt. This trend emerged in Denmark in the late 1990s and early 2000s at a restaurant called Noma in Copenhagen. Chef René Redzepi decided to try something unusual. He placed dried malt on a plate, charred it with beer, and then placed it in a terracotta pot. He called it… dirt. Because it resembled dirt so closely!
Redzepi's intention was to use the 'dirt' as a garnish for the high-end, farm-to-table dishes he became famous for at Noma. Previously, he had made waves by serving hand-picked flowers and cooking locally sourced game for his meals. So when 'dirt' came onto the scene, the food media eagerly took notice. Soon, fine diners from all over the globe were flocking to Copenhagen to try the new creation.
As we mentioned, this wasn’t real dirt being served. But that didn’t stop the trendsetters and food lovers searching for the next big thing. In many ways, Redzepi helped ignite a long-standing trend with his creations. After all, the 'farm-to-table' movement and the trend of locally sourced ingredients seen at mid-range restaurants today had to start somewhere. And it all began with the man who had diners eating dirt for a while. Quite the revolution!
5. Cheese Tea (2000s)
These days, milk tea is everywhere, with Boba taking America by storm. And for good reason—it’s delicious! But this trend didn’t pop up overnight. Long before milk tea became popular, cheese tea was all the rage. While it didn’t quite catch on in the U.S., it was a huge trend in Asia throughout the early 2000s.
In Thailand during this period, street vendors began offering cheese tea. They would whip cheese and place it on top of iced tea. Some of these concoctions became quite elaborate, incorporating matcha, oolong tea, and a foamy mix of salt, milk, whipped cream, and even cream cheese. As the trend evolved, vendors began adding extras like chocolate, green tea, fresh fruit, and even crumbled Oreo cookies.
By the latter part of the 2000s, cheese tea's popularity spread from Thailand to Singapore, China, Japan, and Malaysia. It also made its way to the United States and the United Kingdom, though it never gained the same level of traction there. However, variations of the trend still thrive in other parts of the world. In Finland and Sweden, there's a drink called 'kaffeost,' a hot coffee with a cheese cube floating in the cup. Meanwhile, in Colombia, people often stir white cheese into their hot chocolate to create a drink called 'chocolate santafereño.' So while cheese tea’s popularity waned in some places, its global reach is undeniable!
4. Naked Sushi (2000s)
This trend wasn’t about the food itself, but rather about the way it was presented. In the 2000s, food culture began to explore more provocative and boundary-pushing ideas. In Japan, in particular, restaurants started to experiment with the way food was served. Some restaurants began placing naked models (yes, real women!) on tables and serving sushi directly on their bodies. Diners would sit down, and instead of a typical plate, they would find a still, naked woman lying before them, with sushi placed on her body.
This practice, known as 'nyotaimori' in Japanese, translates to 'female body arrangement.' And that’s exactly what it was! Guests would carefully use chopsticks to pick pieces of sushi from the women lying before them. Just imagine the conversations happening around those tables!
Sadly (or maybe luckily), the 'nyotaimori' trend didn’t quite gain much traction outside of Japan. Some high-end restaurants in Europe and America have given it a shot, and a few still dabble in it now and then. However, it was primarily a Japanese phenomenon that really surged in the 2000s. Still, we can’t help but wonder what it would have been like to experience one of those meals. Just one. For, uh, research. Yeah… research.
3. Glitter Cappuccino (2010s)
Let’s wrap up our look at food trends with one more story about a social media-driven fad: glitter cappuccinos. In 2017, news outlets began reporting on this shiny sensation. It started in coffee shops in Mumbai, India. The first cafe to really make the glitter cappuccino famous was Coffee by Di Bella. But, as with many trends, social media played a huge role in spreading it far and wide. Soon enough, Americans and Europeans were clamoring for glitter to be sprinkled atop their coffee drinks.
Before long, baristas became experts at turning their glittery creations into intricate works of art. Gold and silver glitter were arranged in beautiful, detailed patterns across frothy cappuccinos. The presentation was flawless, eye-catching, and, most importantly, perfect for Instagram. It’s no surprise that this trend spread like wildfire across the globe in a matter of months, particularly among influencers. After all, everyone loves something that looks pretty!
But what about, you know, actually consuming that glitter? That’s where things started to raise eyebrows. Food scientists quickly voiced concerns that much of the glitter used in coffee shops for this trend may not be safe to ingest. What initially seemed harmless suddenly had the potential to be dangerous. 'It could be that this stuff is inert and passes through your body,' one expert explained in a 2018 interview. 'The more nuanced answer is we don’t know about the safety of this. This is putting something in your body that is not designed as food. I can’t recommend it.' Oof. That’s pretty alarming. We’ll be skipping this fad, thanks!
2. Freakshake (2010s)
The deep-fried craze was just the start of the indulgence that took over the 2010s. Later in the decade, the infamous 'freakshake' emerged as one of the most over-the-top and, frankly, disgusting food trends ever. A freakshake is basically a milkshake on steroids. It’s packed with every sweet treat imaginable—cookies, chocolate, cake pieces, candy bars, waffle cone bits, and pretty much everything else you can think of—blended into a shake and topped off with whipped cream and sprinkles. (Because, of course.)
But here’s the surprising part: the freakshake isn’t actually an American creation! You might have assumed it was invented in the U.S., but the credit goes to Australia. Yep, the Aussies are responsible for this absurd monstrosity. They piled as many sweets as possible into one cup, sent it around the world, and voila! Everybody ends up with a sugar overload.
As you can probably guess, freakshakes are a total mess. And, even more predictably, they aren’t really made to be eaten as much as they are to be photographed and posted on social media. You go to a store, buy one, take a picture, and then someone else sees it, comes in, and does the same. The entire economy seems to revolve around these crazy shakes! Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the fad was definitely pretty gross.
1. Deep-Fried Everything (2010s)
While naked sushi made waves in Japan, the next food craze to take over the United States was about as far from sexy as possible. Instead of stripping down and making things steamy, America opted for a deep-fried trend that just ended up making us all heavier. Throughout the 2010s, deep-fried food was absolutely everywhere in the U.S. It wasn’t just a Southern thing anymore, where it had been a staple for years. And it wasn’t just your usual fried chicken, which was already a common favorite. No, this was a lot stranger!
The trend really took off at state and county fairs all over middle America. Food stands at these events began offering deep-fried crocodiles, starfish, tarantulas, and much more. With cooking oil being readily available, frying pretty much anything was guaranteed to turn out delicious.
Also, with the rise of viral news in the 2010s, promoting these deep-fried concoctions became a breeze! By then, media outlets realized there was an audience hungry for bizarre food stories. They’d cover county fairs, documenting the wild and wacky deep-fried dishes, which in turn made even more people curious to try these odd creations. That’s when the deep-fried food trend really took off!
It also helped that deep frying is a pretty straightforward process. Sure, it’s dangerous, but the ingredients are easy to find, and setting up a frying station isn’t complicated. Soon, almost everything was being dunked in hot oil. Hollywood got in on it too! Television shows throughout the 2010s had entire episodes dedicated to the over-the-top trend of deep-frying food, poking fun at how gluttonous it had become. And when TV writers latch onto something, you know it’s a fad that’s about to burn out!
