Why are we making bad viral recipes and calling them cheesecake? | Canada Voices

The first viral food moment of the COVID-19 pandemic was found thanks to TikTok, Instagram, and South Korea, whereby four ingredients combined to make one terrible hot beverage. We all made Dalgona coffee exactly once, but it kicked off a never-ending wave of viral food trends. Focaccia gardens begat hot chocolate bombs, which begat baked feta pasta.

And then came the text last week in a busy group chat: “What about this Greek yogurt–Biscoff biscuit trend? Anybody tried?”

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I’d been expecting the question. For three weeks this January, images of people shoving Biscoff cookies into Greek yogurt – and then into their mouths, eyes alight – were inescapable. It was called a “Japanese cheesecake” and touted as frugal and healthier.

“I’m feeling influenced,” said one friend in the chat. Another had noticed the Korean convenience store on her corner suddenly had Biscoff stocked next to the cash register.

Let me be clear: I love it when people cook, even viral recipes. They’re trying something new, using their kitchens, attempting to eat better. Gold star for effort. But when we’re done scrolling, we should stop pretending yogurt and cookies are a real substitute for a decadent dessert. Instead of the hacks, why not eat the real thing?

Jacki Seley, an industrial-organizational psychologist in Maryland, says viral recipes take off because they’re easy wins: simple, satisfying, fast. “But the same qualities that make them so shareable also make them forgettable,” she says. “They give us a quick dopamine hit, not the deeper satisfaction that comes from mastering the real thing.”

I understand why they flourished during the pandemic. We were stuck inside, growing green onions on our windowsills and having cocktail kits delivered to our doors. Together yet apart, bonding as a global culinary community over successful sourdough bakes and TikTok failures.

But why now?

“The viral Japanese cheesecake promises indulgence, control, and convenience all at once,” Seley says. “In January, people feel like they’re ‘being good’ without giving up dessert. The downside is that it keeps us chasing clever shortcuts instead of building real skills or a sustainable way of eating.”

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Dana McCauley, chief executive officer of the Canadian Food Innovation Network, agrees the Greek yogurt and cookie trend hit at just the right time. “In diet season, these ideas are very appealing,” she says.

When I asked her what separates a viral recipe from a trend with longevity, McCauley said it’s less about the recipe itself than about seizing a moment. “These fads are literally fleeting. The originators happen to land on something that resonates with a social-media-engaged audience at a specific moment,” she says. “But when you look at broader population uptake, it’s rarely evident.”

A couple of days later, the group chat lit up again. A friend had tried it, added coffee and liked it. It was reminiscent of a recipe that became popular in the 1970s: the Sex in a Pan dessert – sometimes called the Robert Redford dessert – which may be the original viral recipe. It featured five no-bake layers: a pecan cookie crust, fluffy cheesecake filling, creamy pudding, whipped topping and chocolate shavings.

I’m still not on board. Sure, January can be boring, let the trends entertain us. But if soggy cookies in yogurt are cheesecake now, then January has officially gone on for too long. Instead, I’m planning a visit to the Cheesecake Factory.