Is TikTok the Chef de Cuisine of Gen Z?

It’s 7.30am on a Wednesday morning.

I open my phone to do some internet scouring, purely for educational purposes, of course. I have a newsletter to write after all.

I’ve barely even begun my deep-dive analysis of the World Wide Web when TikTok tells me I ABSOLUTELY HAVE to try… onions? No wait, butter and onions…

Thanks for the tip, TikTok, but can you give me five f*kn minutes.

You never quite know what food the platform is going to obsess over next.

One month, it’s grated eggs on everything. Next, it’s the abomination Chamoy pickle. Before you know it, we’re freeze-drying candy like our lives depend on it.

As a self-proclaimed foodie, it feels kind of crazy to say, but these trends have a real impact on our culture, going from viral moments to a phenomenon that’s reshaping our palates, kitchens and surprisingly, even social rituals.

Because you’d be lying if you said you hadn’t at least once made a recipe you’d seen trending on TikTok.

From the OG baked feta pasta to cucumber boy, TikTok is lowkey a breeding ground for culinary innovation.

The platform draws an adventurous audience who truly stand by the ethos of 'don’t knock it ‘til you try it,' willing to test even the most diabolical of food combinations.

This latest onion craze tells us something crucial about how Gen Z and Alpha engage with food on social media. They aren’t just looking for recipes as their millennial counterparts do. They want an experience, a moment, a statement.

Here’s why these trends resonate so deeply and how brands, even those outside the food and beverage industry, can take advantage.

The power of play and participatory culture.

At its core, TikTok food trends are a recipe for what Gen Z and Gen Alpha love most: experimentation.

Unlike traditional cooking tutorials, these trends often begin as playful, participatory challenges that feel more like a social experiment than a meal plan. It’s definitely less about the nutritional value and more about: can you believe this works?

Remember the butter board? A communal, visually gorgeous dish that was perfectly Instagrammable but admittedly more about aesthetics than practicality.

The onion bake follows a similar spirit—simple enough to make for kids who aren’t exactly your Michelin star chefs, yet attention-grabbing enough to make noise.

It is in this way that food has transformed beyond fuel, and into content. Which explains why it always needs to bring something fun or quirky to the (literal) table.

These trends reflect a shift in how younger audiences approach food.

Previous generations might have turned to food for comfort or tradition. But today’s digital natives look for virality and shareability.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha are driven by peer validation. Making an onion bake or a cucumber salad means joining a club—a club that’s in on the latest thing and able to broadcast that social currency.

Because this is a younger cohort, these experimental recipes are generally disarmingly accessible. They encourage a just go for it approach, utilising minimal kitchen expertise and everyday ingredients (hence the onions.) This means those participating can dismiss perfectionism and just have fun with it.

It also helps that these trends burn bright and fade fast. So it’s less about commitment and more about, 'I tried this and here’s what I thought.'

For brands: how can you too, serve up a slice of viral success?

Food and beverage brands have an obvious entry point. But that’s not to say brands outside of food can’t find ways to capitalise on this phenomenon, too.

Leverage the aesthetic factor.

These trends have one thing in common—they’re shareable because they look good. Brands can experiment by tying in aesthetics with their products. Think kitchen accessories, creative plating, or even branded cookware partnerships that let people replicate recipes in style.

If it works with your offering, create DIY kits or limited edition ingredients.

A simple 'onion-bake kit' or bundled unique ingredients that users could experiment with for a limited time. This isn’t just for the big names—local brands could create a buzz, too, by aligning their packaging and social content with the trend.

For non-food brands.

Brands in fashion, tech, or lifestyle can still cash in on these trends by associating with the broader 'food moment.' For example, a tech company might market phone mounts or ring lights to 'capture the perfect #FoodTok.'

A fashion brand could launch a line of kitchen-friendly yet stylish wear, blending trends like tomato girl and feta bake – I don’t know, maybe I’m reaching.

But I think it works, as long as you keep it light or even humorous branding that aligns with the fun nature of these trends.

Wrapping it up.

Cultural relevance is everything. And TikTok food trends give younger audiences a chance to participate in such relevance, giving them a sense of belonging.

Gen Z and Alpha are driven by community, creativity, and above all, fun – nothing ever needs to be that serious. Including your culinary efforts.

For brands, this means shifting from simply watching trends to actively participating in them.

Whether it’s onions, butter boards, or something yet to go viral, the opportunities to ride this wave are vast—and tasty.

-Sophie, Writer