By Lauryn Berry
Gen Z is close to being known as the ‘TikTok generation’, and while some will wear that badge with pride, others shudder at the title. Nonetheless, one way or another, among the viral dances and lip syncing fails, TikTok has birthed important movements, such as awareness for body positivity. Somewhere in between lies Food TikTok – a platform that provides both mouth-watering entertainment and unique recipes.
The printed, written word is constantly being shown up by the advantageous TikTok: sixty seconds of flashy visuals often paired with the trendiest sounds, beats any old cookbook.
This is how, only a couple of days after having finally succumbed to society’s peer-pressure and downloaded TikTok, I came across the almighty ‘TikTok Pasta’.
@cookingwithayeh Baked Feta Pasta is def worth all the hype!! Inspired by the lovely @feelgoodfoodie 💗 #fyp #foodtiktok #bakedfeta #pasta #foryou #foryoupage
♬ Taste It – Ikson
The minute-long recipe claims to be ‘so popular that they ran out of Feta cheese in Finland’ – once again showing the tremendous social influence of the video app. Indeed, Food52 has identified the author of the recipe to be Jenni Häyrinen, a Finnish blogger, who created the recipe back in 2019.
While possibly not being the most nutritious meal out there, this simple pasta dish does make your tongue tingle in anticipation, and so it was only a matter of time until I tried it myself.
The obstacle? Feta cheese. This Greek star used to be a favourite of mine, until I became vegan six years ago. Since then I had made my peace without it, rarely following recipes that included feta in order to avoid disappointment. However, this one seemed too good to waste and with the help of Violife and an addition of sundried tomatoes, I made it happen.
Here’s the TikTok pasta, veganised:
Serves 4
Ready in 30 minutes
Although its popularity seems to be growing, with different variations coming up on my page every day, this pasta isn’t the only TikTok food trend out there.
The four way wrapped tortilla was another easy and simple meal that went viral, with both sweet and savoury alternatives.
@simplefood4you All plant based🌱 @me.52203 #vegetarian#vegan#tortillatrend#wrap#recipe#cooking#foodie#foodtiktok#food#fördigfördigsverige#fyp
♬ It’s Tricky – RUN DMC
And for dessert? People are hunting for ‘Little Moons’ up and down the country, after this U.K. owned Japanese Mochi business went viral. Fret not, if you’re curious about trying Mochi, there are plenty of homemade recipes on TikTok too (yes, some of them are vegan!)
@audreysaurus hi vegan friends! here’s a DAIRY-FREE STRAWBERRY MOCHI for you 🍓🥥 recipe will be posted in the comments so please look there
♬ Wandering Around the City – Rook1e
If you’re interested in cooking or changing your eating habits, TikTok isn’t a bad place to start. If a recipe can be condensed into sixty seconds then the likelihood is that it is something easy and memorable enough to make. Although I love cooking myself, I often find it hard to come up with new meals, especially under lockdown when it feels like all you do is work and eat.
Without a doubt, this side of TikTok is commendable. Not only does it teach people new skills but it stimulates creativity, as once a trend starts people are bound to want to alter or better it.
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