ICYMI: HERE ARE THE MOST VIRAL FOODS OF 2024 SO FAR

Is it just me or is 2024 already shaping up to be even more wild than my predictions? All the new food and drinks hitting the scene this year are a bit more off-the-wall and delicious-sounding than usual.

And before you say it, I’m not just talking about viral TikTok recipes here. No, some of the most exciting food trends are coming straight from your favorite restaurants, bars, and even movie theaters. With that in mind, it’s time to recap the wildest and most viral food items of the year so far.

If you have been lucky enough to try any of these new food and drink releases, let us know in the comments!

Erewhon Sunscreen Smoothie

While the smell of sunscreen is a Top Ten smell for me, I hardly would say I love it enough to drink it. Erewhon would beg to differ and this past June rolled out this coconut-y, sunscreen-inspired smoothie collaboration with Vacation Sunscreen that even matches the bottle of sunscreen down to the spirulina-blue stripe.

Red Lobster's Endless Shrimp Deal

It was the best of times (Endless Shrimp Deal) and it was the worst of times (Chapter 11 Bankruptcy) for Red Lobster this year. It turns out you can have too much of a good thing in the form of their popular $20 (now $25) Unlimited Endless Shrimp Deal, which led to the chain losing around $11 million dollars in profits. I’m still crossing my fingers Flavor Flav will ultimately #SaveRedLobster.

Taco Bell Cheez-It Crunch Wrap

If there’s anything to be learned from the wildest, most TikTok-able foods this year, it’s this: just make it cheesier. So it should come as no surprise that Taco Bell decided to make their already loaded, cheesy Crunchwraps even more decadent with the addition of a crispy XXL Cheez-It in the middle. Still hungry? You can also order a Big Cheez-It Tostada, too.

McDonald's Grandma McFlurry

A short list of things that are sweet: chocolate, revenge, and…grandmas? Yes, believe it. Your nana inspired McDonald’s new popular McFlurry flavor, the Grandma McFlurry. Said to be a “sweet ode” to grandmas everywhere, the Grandma McFlurry is something everyone will want to try, featuring chopped, crunchy hard candy pieces (like the ones you might have found in a bowl at your granny’s house or, let’s be honest, in her purse) and a swirl of delicious syrup in vanilla soft serve.

Tanghulu

There’s no reasoning to back it up, but it’s true: food on a stick is the best kind of food, especially when that food in question looks as cute as an emoji (🍡). So it goes without saying that the very viral tanghulu treats all over your Tik Tok FYP are definitely worth waiting in some likely very long lines for. A popular Chinese snack made of candied fruit, tanghulu features a stack of slicked candied fruits (like strawberries, grapes, oranges, and kiwi) that gives way to a satisfyingly crackly crunch once you sink your teeth into it. Crunchy, juicy, and all on a stick? I’m in.

Chain Fest

Chain restaurants are back, baby! Gone are the days where you’d just hit up the Chili’s after your musical rehearsal, volleyball game, or Mathlete competition. Celebrity-studded events like B.J. Novak’s own ChainFest and Chain series of events (which features chef-upgraded classics from chains such as Panda Express and Pizza Hut) are setting the record straight: Chain restaurants are important and well-worth riffing off of.

Hot Dogs Everywhere

I’m not sure how, why, or when it happened, but fancy hot dogs are taking over my social media feeds, and even the menus of upscale dining locales and low-lit wine bars. Perhaps we’re all just gaga over glizzies or simply returning to one of the most humbly tasty foods out there, but it’s good to see this perfectly handheld wonder is getting the spotlight it deserves.

‘Dune 2’ Popcorn bucket

In the category of “Who signed off on this?” I give you…the Dune 2 popcorn bucket. While it remains to be explained how and why this particular sandworm-inspired bucket was created, it really brought us all together as a very confused (and slightly demented) society. Plus, it’s even inspired an SNL sketch and some copycats, like these very creative Deadpool & Wolverine popcorn buckets

Wendy's Triple Berry Frosty

Unlike the aforementioned Dune 2 popcorn bucket, some of the newer food-related things that have hit the scene were just plain good, like Wendy’s Triple Berry Frosty. Doubling down on their previous winning flavor, the Orange Dreamsicle Frosty, this summertime Frosty (which came out in June) is a blend of blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry and, by the looks of it, would probably be very good to dip your fries into.

$5 Fast Food Meal Deals

Can we even call the U.S. a free country without an affordable fast food meal deal? Well, it seems some fast-food restaurants (like Burger King, McDonalds and Sonic) have finally gotten the memo, combatting surge-pricing drama and inflation woes with their own value meals.

2024-07-25T18:27:09Z