Rainbow bagels. Teardrop cakes. Anything ever served at El Bulli. Ramen burgers and mermaid toasts and oops intentionally dropped lemon tarts and deep-fried, bacon-wrapped hamburgers and Erewhon smoothies: Chances are, the first time you saw any of these foods was on the internet. In the past 20 years, social media platforms like Flickr, YouTube, Yelp, Instagram, and TikTok changed how we talk about, learn about, and experience the once-simple pleasures of eating. And while “viral food” of a certain cynical mold hit a nadir in the mid-2010s, the act of accidentally achieving or intentionally chasing virality has had numerous positive effects. Viral food has encouraged many chefs to lean into exploration and innovation; provided countless hours of entertainment and debate; and it’s given diners a shared language around food like never before.
- When Mealtime Was Epic
- The Whole Internet Is Mukbang Now
- Consider the Crunchwrap
- When Foraging Went Viral, Chefs Lost the Plot
- Everything Sucks. At Least There Are Jalapeño Poppers.
