Tom Kelley Archive/istockphoto
Food trends have come fast and gone faster forever, but in the age of TikTok, they’re nearly impossible to keep up with. Ever wonder what kind of food trends existed pre-TikTok?
Here are 15 of them, ranging from the 1700s to today.
Back in the '30s, something called the Swiss Cheese Union, which is real, successfully lobbied to make fondue the national dish of Switzerland. Glad we had our best people on that one. After that, it spread like wildfire and by the '50s, was an exotic trend in America that people could not stop shoving sticks into.
Syllabub is a “treat” popular in the 1700s, made from curdled cream and wine or cider, and the curdled yet boozy combo is very reminiscent of an Irish car bomb drink, which is made with Bailey’s and Guiness. This was a hit around the time probably because nobody had invented a better trend yet. Yikes.
Of all the things on this list, these guys are the ones that make the least sense to me. I like to think I’m extremely open-minded when it comes to food, but this is simply the hardest of passes. Savory Jell-O was huge in the 50s, but in this heart of mine, it will never be allowed.
Things got wacky as all heck in the '60s and '70s, when recipes like ham and bananas hollandaise and the nightmares of the Betty Crocker recipe box roamed the streets. There were no rules to be seen anywhere. These recipes were pure anarchy.
Though quiche may surprisingly have more roots in Germany than France, it became a mega-trend in America in the '70s and '80s when it was revered as a masterpiece of French cooking. Quiche is a perfect food. I get it.
The '80s were buzzing with the wine cooler fad, back when sweet flavors were all the rage. These were all over the map; berry, apple, citrus, and plenty of other candy-esque approaches. We even had Bruce Willis singing like a lunatic about ‘em on that porch.
The whole “death by chocolate” thing really went nuts in the '80s, where dessert menus looked like they had been attacked by Willy Wonka. Chocolate cakes with chocolate fudge and chocolate frosting were everywhere, and chocoholics were running the decade. That life ain’t for me.
If one insane theme seems to define the '90s, it’s the love of the color spectrum. The '90s were an explosion of technicolor, from clothing, to TV, to food. That era led to things like Lisa Frank designs, Heinz’ purple ketchup, and so much more.
Conversely, clear stuff also had a moment in the '90s. Gameboys were clear. iMacs were clear. In 1992, it got to our food when Pepsi dropped Crystal Pepsi on us. Coke tried it too, and Tab Clear wasn’t far behind.
The clear craze may also have had something to do with the foam craze that began in the '90s and extended through much of the early 2000s. The idea of blasting food with a lot of flavor in a way that doesn’t really take up room in your stomach is cool, but the trend was played to absolute death. Most serious chefs have been bullied out of using it by now.
This was probably part of that insufferable “manly stuff” trend that was firing through the early 2000s, thanks in no small part to “The Man Show.” This was a time of BEARDS, BACON and CRAFT IPAs. Legitimately embarrassing to look back on now. But, bacon was a central part of that, showing up in everything from donuts to ice cream. It’s nice that bacon has had a chance to cool down since then.
When Dominique Ansel opened his London bakery, there were 200 people waiting in line for cronuts. That’s the type of popularity these things had back in 2013, and I personally have no idea why. They’re far worse than regular donuts.
At some point, a bunch of science-heads realized they also like to cook, and the marriage between the two is often more theater than dinner. Some chefs, like Wily Dufresne and Richard Blais have made a name for themselves with molecular gastronomy, and the 2000s were loaded with it.
Though hot chicken has been around since the '30s, the trend has exploded in the last 10 years. Nashville may be the king, but L.A. quickly had lines that topped three hours at Howlin Ray’s. There’s probably no better example of hot chicken’s trendiness than Dave’s Hot Chicken, which began in an L.A. parking lot in 2017 and is now on track to reach 300 stores by the end of the year.
I myself was quite hyped on ramen burger when they first had their moment about 10 years ago. There is no replacement for the classic hamburger bun we’ve all agreed works best, but a griddly bun made of noodles was irresistible when done right.
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