The best TikTok food trends of 2023 (so far)
2023 has been...weird. Join Mashable as we look back at everything that's delighted, amazed, or just confused us in 2023.
TikTok is great for a lot of things, for the culinarily inclined it is exceptionally helpful when it comes to learning more about food. Food creators thrive on the app, where ingredients and recipes become full-blown trends. There's even a name for this community: FoodTok.
Though we're just halfway through the year, 2023 has already delivered delicious trends on the app. Everything from tinned fish to homemade ice cream has taken off on FoodTok. We collected five of the best food trends of the year, thus far, and will update as more trends surface in the next few months.
1. The chopped sandwich
This is...exactly what it sounds like. Chopped sandwiches, typically Italian hoagies, went viral on TikTok this year. Effectively, you take all the ingredients of an Italian sandwich, including condiments, chop it up finely and load it into a roll. What results is a cross between an Italian hoagie and a salad. And, one presumes, with the ingredients all mixed up, you should get a perfect, well-balanced mouthful with every bite. Not a bad idea, as far as viral trends go.
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2. Tinned fish
TikTok has been packed with tinned fish content. Packed tight like sardines.
Apologies for the dad joke but it's true. The tinned fish trend definitely began before this year, but it hit the general public and TikTok in 2023. Go into any high-end grocer and they're certainly selling high quality, artisanal tinned fishes. These are not your grandfather's anchovies. Think: mussels, octopus, and salmon bathed in a variety of oils. The trend is to plan a whole date night, a romantic meal composed of tinned fish and, honestly, that sounds like a good time. (Just brush your teeth after.)
3. Hash browns as toast
If you didn't know that you can buy McDonald's-style hash brown patties from the store, well, now you do. Now that you are armed with that information, you should know that TikTok has taken to subbing those delicious potato treats in for bread. Specifically, a lot of people make "avocado toast" with hash browns. Thank you, TikTok.
4. Fruit Roll-Up ice cream
I am going to be honest, I did not try this one. But people did seem to like it, even if it seems kind of odd to me. Basically, you just freeze ice cream inside a Fruit Roll-Up to make a fruity ice cream burrito.
5. Homemade ice cream
Everyone has been buying the Ninja Creami, a viral TikTok gadget that promises to make delicious ice cream at home. According to TikTokkers, basically anything you freeze can be turned into homemade ice cream. Frozen fruit cocktail, for instance, looked intriguing. But homemade ice cream where you control the ingredients does sound promising.
6. Flavored water
Yes, #WaterTok is a thing. A big thing.
It's become a thing to make flavored water, usually with sugar-free powders and syrups. For instance, you might pump in a dash of vanilla and orange to make creamsicle water.
A little strange? Sure. But if people are drinking water — even if it is extremely gussied up — it seems like a trendy way to hydrate.
Topics TikTok
Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).
