Before the government banned TikTok, among many things, the app was popular among cooking enthusiasts. “For me, it began with those videos by Tasty. I used to binge-watch them and I began recreating a few. I used to follow a few pages on TikTok, and during the lockdown, I went into a cooking overdrive,” says Samantha John, student.
From Dalgona coffee to the latest Baked Feta Pasta, she has tried it all. Even though the app has been banned, many upload the same videos on Instagram. “I, honestly, find watching these videos therapeutic. I never used to cook, so when these dishes come out when I feel inspired. The fact that many of them show dishes that you might not make regularly keeps me interested in trying them out,” she says.
The wow factor seems not just to be the short nature of the videos itself, but the new and unique dishes that they seem to feature. And for those who show any kind of interest in such videos, thousands of food videos that are uploaded are served to users, thanks to the algorithm. These videos, in fact, can be addictive.
Over the past year, more than ever, as these short videos have become popular, some dishes have also been received extremely well. Whether these TikTok food trends continue to take off once the pandemic is over, time will only tell. In the meantime, let’s take a look at some of the most popular food trends brought to us by the video-sharing app.
Feta pasta
The newest TikTok trend, the dish is super simple to make. Combine a block of feta, tomatoes and olive oil in a pan and bake. Add the cooked pasta and basil to this dish and mix. While the recipe became popular recently, it has been around for a while. Finnish blogger Jenni Hayrinen is credited with making ‘uunifetapasta’ (Finnish for “oven-baked feta pasta”) in 2019. The recent popularity happened after MacKenzie Smith, the blogger behind Grilled Cheese Social, posted a video on her channel.
Tortilla wrap
Are you looking for a cheesy meat-filled burrito fan with a hint of a crisp? Then, the tortilla wrap hack is perfect for you. The idea is simple: divide the tortilla into four quadrants, each containing its own ingredient, instead of layering them all into a big pile. Fold the four corners on top of each other. The options for the filling is only as limited as your imagination. Just don’t skimp out on the cheese, it is the glue that holds the wrap together. Place the folded wrap on a frying pan, skillet or even grill, and toast to create one perfectly crisp, and golden brown triangular quesadilla
Dalgona coffee
At the start of quarantine, the Dalgona coffee trend had taken over social media, leaving people whipping coffee till their arms were ready to fall off. The recipe, which originated in South Korea, gives you a thick and frothy coffee that looks great on the ‘gram. Simply add equal measure of hot water, sugar, and instant coffee to a bowl and whisk till the mixture is fluffy and light. To serve, spoon a dollop over a cup of milk with ice in it and stir.
Mini pancake cereal
Let’s combine two favourite breakfast options — pancake and cereal — to make mini pancake cereal. The concept is as simple as it can get. Make many mini pancakes until you can fill a bowl, pour some milk and enjoy. The recipe has become so popular many versions featuring mini cookies and even mini doughnuts have since surfaced.
Three-ingredient creme brulee
Typically, creme brulee is made with about five or six ingredients. But this quick version required just three: egg yolks, granulated white sugar and vanilla ice cream. Simply melt a cup of vanilla ice cream in the microwave. Whisk in two egg yolks and divide the mixture into two ramekins. Cook the custard in the oven using the bain-marie method.
Caramalise sugar on the stove top. Pay attention so as to not burn it. Do not add water and wait about four to five minutes for the sugar to melt. As soon as it does, give it a quick stir and then pour a layer, as evenly as possible, on the top of each custard-filled ramekin. It hardens almost immediately.
Cloud bread
The soft, meringue-like Cloud Bread is made of three basic ingredients: egg whites, sugar and cornstarch. For aesthetics, add some food colouring, sprinkles and whatever else catches your fancy. To make the fluffy bread, whip the egg whites on medium-low, until frothy and pale. Stir in sugar, a little bit at a time, until the sugar dissolves and the egg whites start to foam up.
Add in the cornstarch and continue to whip on high until the egg whites become a glossy thick meringue that holds a peak. Use a rubber spatula to scoop out the meringue and shape into a cloud on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until golden and cooked through.