Which TikTok Food Trends are Worth the Hype?
By Giselle Wright
Graphic by Madison Mercado
Most people are guilty of endlessly scrolling through TikTok watching food tutorials, food reviews, food taste tests, and many more food-related videos that often leave our mouths salivating and stomachs aching for food. I am guilty as charged, except, I’ve put some of the viral food combinations to the test so you don’t have to. Some of them have become weekly staples in my kitchen because they’re just too good, while others are better off skipping.
Starting off strong with TikTok creator, Emily Mariko’s iconic salmon and rice bowl. She combines her leftover or freshly made rice and salmon into a bowl. The salmon has to be finely chopped so it combines seamlessly with the rice. The next step is to drizzle mayo, preferablyKewpie, and Sriracha over the entire bowl. This adds a chipotle mayo taste that goes perfectly with the salmon. Emily pairs the mixture of salmon and rice with seaweed snacks and when I tell you it’s delicious is an understatement. Some toppings I like to include after eating this meal a couple of times are avocado and cucumber but they aren’t necessary. I give this meal a 10/10.
Next up is the Baked by Melissa Green Goodness salad. This salad takes the standard salad to the next level. It can be eaten with a chip or directly from the bowl, it's that good. The dressing combines a mixture of garlic, shallot, lime juice, chives, olive oil, nuts, basil, spinach, and nutritional yeast. You add this delicious mixture to chopped cabbage, cucumbers, and chives.The flavors complement each over perfectly. If I were to add to the recipe, I would add a dash of chopped-up jalapeno for a subtle kick. My only complaint is that it requires a lot of chewing and my jaw gets tired easily. My overall rating is 8/10.
This next recipe I recreated out of pure curiosity. Pasta Chips! How has this not been done yet? For this recipe, the first step is to spread your preferred type of pasta on a baking sheet with olive oil and seasonings. I added Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, and oregano. I baked it in the oven for around 15 minutes for extra crunch and made sure to toss halfway through so it’s baked evenly. While it was baking, I prepared an alfredo and marinara sauce, which I bought, for dipping. Overall, I was shocked by how the pasta absorbed the flavor of the seasonings but I don’t think I would choose pasta chips over my classic Tostitos chips. Overall rating is 6.5/10.
The last recipe I tested out was the viral feta and tomato pasta recipe. The dish was certainly easy to recreate consisting of only three ingredients. The first step is to add a block of feta cheese to a baking pan with cherry tomatoes. I made sure to have the cheese surrounded by the tomatoes. I drizzled olive oil and added some of my favorite italian seasonings then put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. After it came out of the oven, I added my boiled pasta and mixed everything together. This combination did not sit right with me: the feta cheese was overbearing and made my mouth feel sticky as I ate it. Every single bite was gloopy and the texture was definitely off. Next time, I might add half a block of feta instead of a whole package and some breadcrumbs for that additional crunch. Overall rating is 4/10.