Viral TikTok trends are changing what America eats
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Viral TikTok recipes are changing what's for breakfast, lunch and dinner in homes across the country.
Why it matters: The top food trends can translate to big bucks or even shortages when a particular dish catches on.
- The mad dash on ingredients can also shape sales at restaurants and grocery stores.
The big picture: Retailers and food manufacturers are leaning into TikTok to get a pulse on what's hot and trending. They're adding new products based on these trends while restaurants are changing menus.
- For instance, discount grocer Aldi told Axios it has a team of trend experts and buyers monitoring social media to "spot emerging trends and stock the must-have items shoppers want."
Flashback: A viral feta pasta recipe on TikTok caused global feta cheese shortages back in 2021.
- Several of the viral videos also are posted on other social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Dig in: Here are some of the year's most viral trends.
Cucumber salad and pickles
Zoom in: One of this year's obsessions has been cucumber salad, a trend that TikTok's "cucumber boy" Logan Moffitt is credited with starting this summer.
- Moffitt's recipe videos, which use a whole cucumber and other simple pantry ingredients, have garnered millions of views.
- They also led to a cucumber shortage in Iceland, BBC News reported.
What they're saying: "Social media feeds are undeniably shaping the dishes and drinks that Yelp users are seeking out," Yelp trend expert Tara Lewis said.
- "We saw Yelp users searching for restaurants offering cucumber salads, with a notable spike in August and September," she added.
Several trends with pickles — fermented cucumbers — have also taken off, including fried cheese-wrapped pickles or "chickles" and bright red chamoy pickles overstuffed with candies.
Momtok dirty soda trend
Dirty soda — originally cola mixed with coconut syrup — was once a trend limited to Utah but it has gone mainstream thanks to TikTok and Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."
- The ingredients mixed into soda have also changed with consumers adding cream, protein shakes, syrups or other flavorings in.
- Yelp searches for "dirty soda" increased by 162% in the week following the Hulu show's premiere compared to the week prior."
Soda brands have embraced the trend.
- Dr Pepper released a limited-time "dirty soda creamer" with Coffee Mate and a "Creamy Coconut" soda this year.
- Pepsi posted a TikTok video about dirty soda earlier this month using Cool Whip and coconut syrup.
Cottage cheese flatbread
The #cottagecheese trend started in 2023 but has grown in 2024 with viral recipes including cottage cheese flatbread and cottage cheese ice cream.
- Americans' appetite for low-sugar and zero-sugar Greek yogurt also is growing in the era of Ozempic.
By the numbers: Cottage cheese was being searched at an all-time high in mid-June with "cottage cheese wrap" and "cottage cheese flatbread" being searched more than ever, according to Google Trends.
Freeze-dried candy trend
Freeze-dried everything has been all the rage on TikTok — and it shows no sign of slowing down, especially with candy and dehydrated fruit.
Driving the news: Whole Foods Market called crunch "a trending texture" and one of its top 10 anticipated food trends for 2025.
- "Dehydrated fruits and candy are taking over social media, with consumers seeking that light, airy crunch," the grocer said in a report this week.
What's next: Skittles announced it's getting in on the trend with a "crispy and crunchy twist" on its classic candy with Skittles POP'd.
- The freeze-dried candy will be available in original and sour flavors and will launch on the TikTok Shop on Monday.
- It will be sold at select retailers later this fall and in stores nationwide beginning in early 2025.
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