TikTok, quality brain-rot, back from the dead, many panicked about losing their favorite pastime, the swiping that fits in between eating, sleeping and breathing. This leaves people to wonder, what may have been lost forever? What happens when life between the scrolls overlaps with the lives seen during the scrolls?? Popular TikTok foods, potentially mouthwatering recipes or overhyped, labor intensive culinary garbage; a quest to find the truth behind these viral food sensations.
Regardless of how popular or questionable the recipes are, each is tried by following the instructions, or lack thereof and tasted taking into consideration time commitment, ingredient commonality, and overall experience. Some are swipe right, others a clear swipe left.
Starting simple, pretty pickles. Originally posted by creator @densewaffles towards the end of 2024, the video has since received over 5.8million views. Adding a container of edible glitter to a jar of pickle chips, the flavor and basic integrity of the pickles is preserved. However, the taste experience is slightly daunting as nothing that shiny should be appetizing. That being said, mouths are left sparkle free.
Similar in ingredients, creator @logagm rose to TikTok stardom thanks to his “Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber” content. While he has since posted other recipes, close to hundreds of them, for the test the original viral recipe was followed. Ingredients were rather basic, however MSG (his favorite ingredient) is nearly impossible to find in a store. The recipe lacks proper measurements, so following his pour until it looks right approach, the end product was nothing short of a disappointment. Quite literally gagging from both scent and taste alone, one is left to wonder if his other recipes are any better, or if the lack of measurements led to failure.
Diving deeper into culinary chaos are the pasta chips. Following instructions from verified creator @senyaigrubs, the end product turned out to be a textual experience. Frying the slightly over cooked pasta resulted in a relatively dry and flavorless bite, reminiscent of dried uncooked pasta. Also testing the sauce from his post, it was rather one note and missing depth. Overall, it was a time consuming task that resulted in a mediocre snack.
Most social media scrollers are familiar with the president of the fast food secrets club @jordan_the_stallion8, and most are also strangely addicted to Raising Canes. Combining the two, copy-cat Canes Sauce was created and was shockingly similar to the original. Combining everyday ingredients such as ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, the end product was almost effortless and worthy of making again.
Going deeper into food Tok, pastina. The recipe originally by @heresyourbite, was made viral by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, was clear to follow and provided simple comforting flavors. While the recipe is wonderful, the texture is an acquired taste.
Another clear recipe was the Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookie made viral by @nytcooking. The complexity of brown butter combined beautifully with rich bittersweet chocolate and a hint of sea salt. Although the 24 hour wait time was torturous, the end product was well worth the time and effort.
Flash back to the pandemic, and one may recall whipped coffee, difficult to pinpoint the original creator origin, the drinks South Korean roots do not disappoint. Combining the frothy nature of a traditional hot latte with the refreshing coolness of an iced coffee, whipped coffee is both simple and perfectly curated on a time crunch. While slightly more bitter than a Starbucks iced latte, viewers can adjust their sweetener to coffee ratio to match their personal preference. Is it extra, yes, but as an occasional treat for oneself, the effort is worth it.
Diving further into beverages, reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives popularized the concept of “dirty sodas”. Testing the recipe by creator @poc.sonic, the end product was simply too sweet. A fusion of Diet Coke, coffee creamer, lime and vanilla syrup left the taste buds rather overwhelmed. While tolerable, it was simply too much.
Craving a health kick near the end of a recipe adventure, smoothie bowls were also sampled. Using the recipe of @smoothieflip, instructions were clear, and ingredients were simple. However, that did not result in a fulfilling flavor experience. The bowl ended up rather bland, and therefore disappointing. The process was somewhat frustrating and hands on, as most do not process the equipment utilized in the video, impacting the final texture of the smoothie. In short, a standard blender won’t cut it without some elbow grease and patience.
Keeping it simple with a food combination trend, stemming from an interview with @dualipaofficial, olive oil and sea salt topped vanilla ice cream took the internet by storm, but wrongfully so. Potentially just being an acquired taste, the addition of olive oil was completely unnecessary. It not only impacts the ice creams texture, but it also adds a robust and unnecessary earthy element. Although ratio of ice cream to oil and salt was never formally defined, the combination was an overall pass.
Coming to a conclusion, the final recipe was both the most time consuming and perplexing, Tini’s Mac and Cheese, creator @tinekeyyounger.rr is popular for her recipes cooking for her husband. While her recipe was clear, her ratios were off, resulting in a finished product of cheese brick with hint of pasta. While the top crisped beautifully in the oven, and the fresh cheese pull looked like that from magazines, attempting to eat it was a challenge. Far too decadent for more than a single bite, but with some tweaking, the recipe would be worthy of making again.
All in all, post deep dive into food TikTok left broken promises and skepticism. It wakes you up to the reality that often what you see isn’t how life actually is. That movie magic is the same in short form content, for food and people alike.
