Activated charcoal, butter boards, and hyper-realist cakes are some of the unappetising food trends that caused too many food nightmares for us recently.
Of all the food trends that come and go, there are some that you just could not believe they actually came, and cannot wait to see them go.
Some of the biggest food trends were TikTok and Instagram-famous dishes that were nothing more than aesthetically pleasing, health foods that missed the mark, and snacks that just went a little bit too far.
All we can say is that we hope they do not follow us into 2024. Let us start fresh, and may they disappear.
Eggs on top
Like a cherry on top, eggs have made it to the top of almost every fast food. From traditional ramen to sandwiches and platters, adding a fried egg or hard-boiled egg has turned out to be an easy and cost-effective fad for food creators. But is it not too much?
Activated charcoal
The powder turns everything pitch-black but does almost nothing as far as flavour or aroma needs to go.
And while some people point to its health benefits for justification, most of the activated charcoal ice creams and burger buns we see these days only incorporate a tiny amount - not nearly enough to help with anything.
Topped milkshakes
Those over-the-top milkshakes that have three more desserts stacked on top - a doughnut, a cookie, chocolate-covered pretzels - and are spilling all over the place - need to be stopped.
Butter boards
You probably already know that butter boards were a huge thing last year. The food trend, like many, took off via TikTok. Basically, softened butter is smeared on a wooden board, decorated with whatever is around (honey or lemon zest or edible flowers), then scooped up with chunks of bread.
Did not the worldwide pandemic teach us anything about germ-sharing? Flavoured butter is all well and good, but individual portions of the stuff would be far more appetising, and less likely to leave a greasy stain on your wooden board.
Hot cocoa bombs
The hot cocoa bomb craze began in 2020 but has only intensified in the two years since. We know how its popularity began - pandemic boredom.
And we know why its popularity has sustained - they are photogenic desserts - but still, these treats do not deserve all this fanfare in 2023 and beyond.
Hyper-realist cakes
How many times have you been scrolling online just to see someone sliding a knife into a luxury handbag or a cute puppy, only to find that it is cake? This trend of hyper-realism has to be one of the strongest.
From a technical standpoint, it is incredible what some people are capable of making. An unusual cake for a kid’s birthday party is one thing, but do we really need the traumatic roller-coaster of thinking we are seeing someone cut off the head of a puppy to appreciate some craftsmanship?
A good old chocolate cake will do just fine.
Anything served on a counter top
If the ingredients for a dish are mixed by hand directly on the surface of a counter top, with the intention of everyone digging in family style, do yourself a favour and skip the recipe.
Food served on a counter top looks unappetising and raises questions about hygiene.
Drinking vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a trendy ingredient that is often credited with a bunch of miraculous healing properties despite the fact that there is not a whole lot of evidence proving that it really can cure all (or any) ills.
No matter how many times cider vinegar myths are debunked, though, there are still numerous people who are willing to down shots of the stuff for the sake of their health, but we doubt anyone is doing it because they enjoy the flavour.
Gold flakes
Over the past few years, there has been a significant rise in food trend videos featuring edible gold leaf. But even though many pastry chefs will agree that there is a time and a place for this luxurious decoration, gold leaf usually serves little purpose to a dish other than inflating its price tag.
Gold does not have any flavour, nor does it create any special chemical reaction with other ingredients. It is a completely extra ingredient that adds nothing but aesthetic appeal, and it is really something that should only be for special occasions.
Avocado burgers
They are keto-friendly, they are cute, they are Instagrammable, but they are certainly not burgers. Give us a burger that we can eat with our two hands over this any day.
Deep-fried everything
Food is getting crazier day by day. South African food trends have taken big decisions about deep frying everything. We mean everything!
From pizzas and ice creams to all sorts of desserts, frying is taken way more seriously now and we think it should stop.
On that note, I cannot wait to see which interesting over-the-top food trends foodies will come up with next, but for now, let the trends retire.