TikTok: Your New Recipe Book

By Sakura Gray

Charlie D’Amelio and Addison Rae’s dance videos have gone viral on TikTok, but so has something else: food.

TikTok is an app where users can upload and watch short-form content. Users have taken advantage of the visual feature of the platform to create recipe videos of their favorite foods. What is interesting about these concoctions is that everyday people, not chefs, make them, so their ingredients and processes are accessible to everyone.

“I think the format of TikTok makes it easy to break down recipes in a relatively simple, straightforward way, and it makes them seem less intimidating,” says Katey Psencik, lecturer of social media journalism at The University of Texas.

Some trending food hashtags on TikTok include #snackbreak, #quickrecipes and #mealprep, and this feature allows you to see a compiled list of food videos at your fingertips. TikTok is saturated with food videos, so there is an abundance of new recipes to try throughout quarantine.

One of the most popular food trends on the app is whipped coffee. Also known as Dalgona coffee, this four ingredient recipe became an internet sensation when it landed on TikTok’s “Trending” page. Videos with #whippedcoffee have garnered 1.7 billion views.

The recipe consists of whipping together instant coffee, sugar, and boiling water to create a texture similar to marshmallow fluff. This mixture is then poured over milk to create a two-toned concoction.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recipe provides a way for people to create a new style of coffee from household ingredients. Many users pour their coffee into mason jars to emulate the aesthetic of cafe beverages. Some people have additionally replaced the instant coffee with matcha or cocoa powder to create different variations of the drink.

Another trend on the app is “the perfect egg sandwich.” This spin on the traditional egg sandwich was all about the process of getting the eggs in the sandwich. While people traditionally cook their eggs separately and then place them on a sandwich, this recipe showed that putting the bread inside the pan made the process easier.

By folding the egg over the bread with a spatula, the eggs fold perfectly inside the bread. Users on TikTok made many renditions of this sandwich-making video, adding ingredients like cheese and bacon inside the creation.

“The algorithm of TikTok is unique in the sense that it gives everyone a chance,” says TikTok content creator Jaimie Kim. “The ‘For You’ or ‘Trending’ pages can give anyone’s video the opportunity to go viral.”

In addition to food videos that have gone viral, the app also offers recipes for people looking to expand their palate. People in the stay-at-home order are creating new unique recipes to keep food exciting during the time of isolation. Content creators are able to be creative in the kitchen and use the app to show others how to copy the process.

“TikTok gives its users the opportunity to be endlessly creative, and I think that’s why it’s flourishing,” Psencik says. “The variety of information you can share makes it great for creators and consumers, and the algorithm is definitely good at serving you the content you want when it learns what you like.”

Some of the more peculiar recipes include Chick-Fil-A pizza, pancake muffins and Buffalo Cauliflower wings. The visual aspect of the app serves as a virtual cookbook, and viewers can follow along with the steps being shown. Whether you are a pro in the kitchen or experimenting with cooking for the first time, the time constraints of the app force content creators to simplify recipes to enhance the viewing experience.

With many people utilizing social distancing to get in shape, the app also features recipes for healthy snacks. TikTok content creator @Nacedawggg coated the inside of a tortilla with hummus, and then placed spinach, avocado and spices on the inside. This provides a healthy alternative to a quesadilla and takes less than five minutes to make.

Another content creator, @Teacupsntulips, coated the inside of a tortilla with peanut butter and placed mashed up raspberries and a whole banana to create a sushi-like roll.

In addition to recipe trends, certain people on the app have gained popularity through their cooking videos and personalities. Some of those internet personalities are @Cookingwithshereen, @Theparadise.bartender, and @Newt.

“I think many of the popular TikTok creators who post food videos also have extremely likeable personalities, and they weave those personalities into their videos,” Psencik says.

@Cookingwithshereen provides tutorials for warm homemade dishes, and her personality is that of a motherly figure teaching her kids to cook. @TheParadise.bartender offers a wide variety of cocktail tutorials and uses her bubbly personality to encourage people to try new mixes. She coined the now-popular tagline “Fun, right?” by saying it at the end of making every drink. @Newt provides college-kid friendly recipes and adds humor into his videos to make his process relatable to viewers of all skill levels.

During this pandemic, recipes on TikTok provide a way for people to stay entertained while stuck inside. As people continue to get creative in the kitchen, who knows what the next food trend might be?