Viral food trends can take over our feeds overnight, and clear our supermarket shelves just as quickly, hello cottage cheese shortage!
We love them because they are something new. There is a promise of a delicious dish, excitement of trying what everyone else is making, and that small feeling of being part of the conversation by joining in. They spark conversations around the dinner table and make cooking feel a little more interesting again.
I think we are drawn to trends like the feta pasta, Dubai Chocolate, cottage cheese bowls or the dumpling lasagne because they draw us out of everyday cooking.
Most households aren’t cooking something brand new every night. We tend to rotate the same 10-15 dishes we all know and love. A viral recipe drops into that routine and suddenly dinner feels exciting again. It carries the promise that if it’s gone viral, it must be good.
And sometimes, it is.
Some trends earn their place as a family favourite in the weekly rotation. I quite liked the dumpling lasagne trend. Others, they don't stick, and that's ok. Just because something goes viral doesn’t mean it will suit your taste, your budget, or the way you cook. The feta pasta, for me, I wasn't a fan. For many others, it was a huge hit.
That’s the thing about food, it’s personal. I’m sure there are dishes I love and make often that someone else wouldn’t enjoy at all. I mean everyone knows I love pickles but a lot of people think they are horrible.
When I see a viral recipe, I usually have a good look at a few versions first, look at the ingredients and if it fits with what I cook and then decide whether it’s worth trying. Some I skip because they just aren’t my style or taste and that’s ok.
What I do absolutely love about these trends is that is brings out creativity and experimentation. It gets conversations going about food. It encourages people to put their own spin on these dishes, adding a different flavour or adjusting it to suit their family.
As a professional baker, home cook and recipes creator it makes me genuinely so happy seeing people in the kitchen trying something new. People who otherwise may not have stepped outside their usual rotation.
Viral food isn’t going anywhere. Supermarket shelves might occasionally be bare of that one trending ingredient, but maybe that’s part of modern food culture now.
Whether you try the trend yourself or just watch from behind the screen, I think they can be a fun part of the way we cook today. Because at the end of the day, it’s still the familiar meals that get us through the week and the trends that add a bit of fun.