What Makes a Food Trend? The Psychology Behind Culinary Hype

Food trends are far more than seasonal shifts or influencer experiments—they’re expressions of cultural change, identity, and consumer emotion. One moment, turmeric is a spice collecting dust on grocery shelves; the next, it’s a golden elixir hailed for its wellness magic. Poke Bowls, once a Hawaiian staple, now headline menus from Berlin to Brooklyn. And seemingly overnight, TikTok lights up with a wave of colorful Dirty Sodas layered with syrups and cream. But what exactly transforms a food item from everyday fare to cultural phenomenon?

The answer lies in how food connects novelty with belonging, discovery with ritual. Consumers don’t just want to try something new—they want to be part of something bigger. Whether it’s about health, heritage, or hype, each trend has layers: raw materials, culinary formats, and consumer-ready products. And not all layers are equal in driving trend perception.

In this exploration, we unpack the anatomy of food trends and why certain formats—especially dishes and preparation styles—resonate more powerfully than ingredients or packaged goods.

Trend Snapshot

Aspect	Details
Trend Name	Food Trend Psychology / Culinary Hype Patterns
Key Components	Ingredients (e.g., matcha, jackfruit), dishes (e.g., shakshuka, poke), FMCG (e.g., oat milk, protein bars)
Current Distribution	Global, especially in digital-savvy and trend-sensitive urban markets
Notable Examples	Dirty Sodas, Açaí Bowls, Golden Milk, Beyond Burgers
Popular Hashtags	#foodtrend, #tiktokfood, #acai, #oatmilklatte, #dirtysoda
Target Demographics	Gen Z, millennials, foodies, wellness consumers
Wow Factor	Shareability, story, cultural or health resonance
Trend Phase	Peak (dishes); Emerging (ingredient-based trends); Rapid-turnover (FMCG)

Three Levels of Trends: Ingredient, Dish, Product

Not all food trends start at the same level. Some begin as rediscovered ingredients—like kale or jackfruit—marketed as superfoods and boosted by wellness narratives. Others emerge as entire dishes, such as Shakshuka or ramen, that gain traction through social media and restaurant menus. Then there are the packaged players—think oat milk, vegan jerky, or protein-enhanced desserts—that tap into larger food movements but are delivered as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG).

Dishes tend to resonate more deeply. They offer a full sensory experience: color, texture, ritual, and emotion. You don’t go out to “try turmeric”; you go out for a Golden Milk or order a turmeric latte. The dish wraps the ingredient in a context that makes it memorable, desirable, and Instagrammable.

Packaged products, by contrast, often struggle to feel authentic. Unless they align with a bigger shift (plant-based diets, for example), they risk being dismissed as marketing gimmicks. Oat milk succeeded not because it’s a novelty, but because it matched a growing demand for dairy-free coffee culture and slotted neatly into barista workflows.

Cultural Exchange & Authenticity

Many of today’s trending dishes stem from migration, travel, and the media-fueled diffusion of traditional cuisines. Think Korean BBQ, once regional and now mainstream, or poke, which leaped from Hawaii to global salad bars.

These trends often come with a discovery narrative: “Have you tried this?” becomes a social moment. The appeal lies not just in taste but in cultural storytelling. Dishes with visible roots and ritualistic preparation feel more authentic—and authenticity sells. Consumers want to feel like they’re tasting a tradition, not a brand strategy.

Still, cultural food trends raise questions about appropriation and co-optation. As shakshuka becomes brunch menu standard or birria tacos go viral, there’s a delicate balance between appreciation and exploitation. For a trend to thrive without backlash, it needs transparency and respect for its origins.

The Tale of Dirty Sodas

Take Dirty Sodas: a sugary-sweet concoction of soda, flavored syrups, and cream that originated in Utah and exploded on TikTok. Initially a quirky regional treat, it became a nationwide sensation once influencers showcased its dramatic visual layering and infinite flavor options. It wasn’t the drink’s taste alone that sparked the hype, but its customizability and performative assembly—perfect for digital storytelling.

Dirty Sodas illustrate how FMCG-adjacent trends can succeed when they behave like dishes. They’re not just sold; they’re crafted. Customers get to choose, build, share, and sip—creating a personal ritual around an otherwise commercial beverage. For more on their rise, see Wild Bite Club’s article “Dirty Sodas: How TikTok Turned Soft Drinks into Dessert”.

Identity, Novelty & Community

Why do some trends ignite while others sputter? Part of the answer lies in identity. Food trends serve as social markers—signaling taste, awareness, and even values. Being an early adopter confers status; sharing a trendy dish reinforces community.

Social media fuels this dynamic by creating a feedback loop: the more a trend is shared, the more legitimate it feels. Food becomes performance, and trends become digital rituals. Whether it’s layering a smoothie bowl or preparing your Dirty Soda combo, the act of participation matters as much as the product.

But authenticity still matters. Consumers crave novelty, but they also want to feel that what they’re consuming is real—not manufactured in a marketing lab. That’s why traditional or “ethnic” dishes, framed respectfully, often outperform hyperprocessed innovations.

Tempo of Trend Cycles

The speed of a food trend’s lifecycle varies. Ingredients like matcha or kale build slowly, supported by health claims and gradual cultural integration. Dishes move faster, often spurred by restaurant buzz and social sharing. FMCG products, though, face intense pressure to hit fast and fade even faster.

Product launches need to stand out immediately—and that usually means tapping into an existing food behavior (e.g., oat milk in coffee shops). Without this connection, the trend can feel forced. Think of seasonal soda flavors that appear, get sampled, and disappear before they even register in the mainstream.

Yet the most enduring trends aren’t necessarily the fastest. They are those that become rituals: the morning smoothie bowl, the weekly ramen dinner, the customized Dirty Soda run. These routines embed food into lifestyle—and that’s what gives a trend true staying power.

Consumer Experience: Dish > Ingredient

Consumers connect more easily with dishes because they offer a ready-made experience. You don’t have to imagine what to do with jackfruit if it’s presented as pulled “pork” in a taco. You don’t need to Google how to cook with quinoa if it’s in your favorite grain bowl.

Moreover, dishes are shareable. They photograph well, come with stories, and invite communal eating. A dish frames an ingredient in a context that elevates its appeal. That’s why dishes consistently outperform standalone ingredients or packaged snacks in terms of trend recognition.

Packaged products can still become trends, but they need to sell more than convenience. They must deliver a feeling: of health, of indulgence, of rebellion. When FMCG succeeds, it’s because it behaves more like a dish and less like a SKU.

Final Thought

In the world of food trends, form matters as much as flavor. What we crave isn’t always what’s new—it’s what’s new and meaningful. That’s why dishes dominate, ingredients inspire, and only the most thoughtful products ever break through.

If you’re curious about food design and snack trends, check out our story on The Rise of the Burger: A Culinary Icon’s Journey.