In 2021, we are already accustomed to Instagrammable foods, stylish smoothie bowls, and burgers that go cold in search of the perfect shot “for the Gram”. But there’s a new player in town, ready to sweep the food scene off of its feet. Dear reader, meet Food TikTok.
2020 has been the year of TikTok and just like every other field of interest, foodies also flooded the platform with brand new content, creating Food Tiktok: a brand new playground with its own rules and paradigms.
Visual Culture and Stunt Food
Food Tiktok is not that much different from the food scene of Instagram, in terms of a heavy reliance on visuality. This visual culture brought with it the term “Instagrammable foods” in the past few years, referring to aesthetically pleasing and colorful yet maybe not so delicious dishes like vibrant smoothie bowls and all sorts of snacks smothered in cheddar cheese. The same culture remains on TikTok, with users like @earlypete fighting against it by dueting other TikToks and explaining if they’re “Stunt food, made for the views; or good food, made for the taste”.
@earlypete##duet with @iaskedforextrapickles is this recipe @kraftdinnerca approved? ##foodporn ##foodtiktok ##marketing ##VisionBoard ##kraftdinner♬ Shaxicula (Toxic x Love Shack x Dragula) – DJ Cummerbund
1 Minute Limitation
TikToks cannot rely on long captions and the videos have to deliver their messages in very brief 1-minute allotments. This limit encourages creativity and pushes creators towards more upbeat contents. Further, it leads to a preference of simpler recipes one can just gloss over. Very simple recipes like those for condiments or iced coffee are extremely popular.
One very intriguing content creator is Joshua Weissman who is an actual chef, creating content not only for TikTok but also Youtube and Instagram. A brief compare and contrast analysis of his content on Youtube and TikTok is plenty to stand on its own as a workshop on the differences between the two media.
Weissman’s YouTube content is typically very explanatory and in general, “geeky”. He explains the recipes very thoroughly and usually goes over the nuances different ingredients and techniques create in the recipes.
@flakeysaltI don’t take condiments lightly. Chili oil. ##MyRoutine ##foryou ##foodlover ##fyp ##food ##recipe ##cooking ##skills ##yum ##foryoupage♬ original sound – Joshua weissman
Joshua Weissman’s content on Food TikTok, on the other hand, is extremely to the point. Basically a list of ingredients and preparation steps; his content is typically him yelling out the ingredients, followed by the steps. And bam! You’ve got a delicious dish ready to serve! No time to explain.
Food TikTok and the Algorithm: Anyone Can Shine Through
@ellamendelsohnMornin 😊 #HolidayTreats #coffee #icedcoffee #StrikeAPosay♬ Knicks – Cochise
One of the biggest wonders of TikTok is its wonderful algorithm which allows everyone to shine through. You no longer need to be an established chef, or even remotely skilled in shooting a cooking video. Just a shot of you pouring cold brew and milk into a cup and having fun can make it BIG on TikTok. This allows a wider range of voices to be heard, and means we get to see food through a more casual and personal lense.
Trends on Food TikTok
@michi.faddamini pancakes 🥞 ##fy ##fyp ##perte ##food ##pancake ##pancakecereal♬ suono originale – michi 🐨
Just like any other part of the platform, Food TikTok is also driven by trends. Especially during the first months of the pandemic when everyone was eager to create wonders in the kitchen, recipes like Dalgona Coffee and Pancake Cereal boomed on TikTok. These dishes, originally posted by a single person, soon visited the kitchens of thousands of people in a matter of days. This created the term “TikTok Foods” which meant if you saw the recipe enough times on your feed, you just had to make it.
This creates a brand new playground for brands who want more exposure on their products. As long as you can put a recipe out there that is simple enough for the average teenager and has the dazzlement of whipped coffee, you can build your exposure organically.
Interested in TikTok? You might also enjoy this:
Latest TikTok Trends in 2021 | All You Need to Know
TikTok is here to stay and ready to change the way we create and interact with content! How do you think TikTok will swerve foodies in 2021? Leave a comment down below or hit us up on our socials!
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