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Chances are, you’ll spot at least one photo of mouth-watering food the second you open your Instagram feed. You know, those carefully curated posts filled with dazzling colors of kimchi, home-brewed kombuchas, and vibrant açaí bowls that get your appetite immediately going. But the truth is, these are all trends that have filled our kitchens, plates, and bellies during these past few years. And if there’s one thing we’re sure of, they tend to come and go.
So a few days ago, Redditor AndShesNotEvenPretty felt inspired when she came across old recipes that looked completely unappetizing by today's standards. So the user reached out to members of the 'Cooking' subreddit with a very fine question: "What cooking/food trends will seem revolting in the future?" Foodies immediately jumped to the comment section and shared their sizzling takes about the latest fads that will age so bad, they'll turn sour.
From rainbow-colored meals to dishes decorated with gold, we’ve gone through the thread and hand-picked some of the most interesting responses for every cooking enthusiast to enjoy. So get your aprons ready and continue scrolling to upvote your favorite ones! Do you have any thoughts about what food trends should cease to exist? Be sure to tell us all about them in the comments, we'd love to hear them.
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#1
it's not really a food trend per se, but i'm really tired of looking up a recipe online only to have to scroll through 20 pages of a life story full of anecdotes just to get to the ingredient list.
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#2
Fondant. Cakes are supposed to taste good first and look good second, not look beautiful and taste awful.
We managed to get in touch with the user who started this whole thread, AndShesNotEvenPretty, who was kind enough to have a little chat with us. When asked whether she expected her post to reach hundreds of people who wasted no time sharing their opinions in the comments, the user said that it was definitely cool. "But let’s not get too precious here. It’s a Reddit post. All it demonstrates is I had a passing thought that other people identified with," she told Bored Panda.
The user came up with the idea to ask this question while scrolling through the 'Old Recipes' subreddit. "It’s amusing to look back on the trends of yesteryear and realize how much our tastes have changed," she wrote in the post. "Gelatin abominations, iceberg lettuce creations, and protein loaf iterations abound, many of which sound unappetizing by today’s standards. It got me to thinking, what do we eat now that the next generations will find unappealing?"
#4
Deconstructed food. I do not give a sh*t about your creative attempt to try to 'invoke' cheesecake by having all the elements on a plate separately. I want the damn, fully assembled cheesecake
#6
Food decorated in gold. I don’t judge people for fine dining or enjoying expensive meals, but that gold leafing sh*t is over the line for me. It's pure ostentatiousness without even pretending that it improves the taste of food.
When asked about the reasons she finds it interesting to explore old recipes online, AndShesNotEvenPretty explained she enjoys looking at them because they serve as a social commentary of the era they once were popular in. Moreover, they can tell us a lot about what was valued at the time. "You can see the changes that were taking place in society simply by observing recipes over time."
"As women entered the workforce, for example, recipes became more compact, streamlined, and made use of convenience foods and canned items," the user continued. "During the Great Depression, recipes were barebones and made use of inexpensive staples and often involved innovative uses for cheaper ingredients so they could be used as substitutes for more expensive products like milk and eggs."
However, most of the cooking trends that were popular during that time have faded away. Once we take a look at the TV dinners, gelatin salads, and fish-shaped food that were extremely prevalent just a few decades ago, we undoubtedly scratch our heads from confusion. "I think many of these recipes fall out of favor as we begin to value different things, gain new technology, and as we continue to learn more about the world around us," the user noted several reasons why these dishes no longer seem appetizing to us.
#7
I already think they’re gross but those “Stunt Burgers” that are stacked so damn high you can’t even eat it properly and the combination of all 25+ ingredients probably won’t even taste that good together. First We Feast Instagram I’m lookin at you.
#8
I want to hope that future people will be revolted by the giant, flavorless beefsteak tomatoes we chose to selectively breed and then pick early and refrigerate into oblivion to be the way they are, right now, *on purpose.*
Bonni Adah Stoker 2 years ago
that is all tomatoes, not just beefsteak and many of the fruits and vegetables that you want to eat. buy local, support local farmers and grow your own, supermarkets just fill shelves with produce people will buy.
#9
Keurig coffee. Passing boiling water through plastic cups for a burnt, under-extracted cup. If it doesn't turn out to be outright dangerous to human health, it's still an environmentally wasteful way to make a bad cup of coffee.
iseefractals 2 years ago
I have absolutely no use for anyone who uses any of these "pod" devices. 39,000 pods are produced every single minute of the day (20.5 billion per year) of those, 29,000 end up in landfills (15.242 BILLION PER YEAR) You couldn't recycle these things if you wanted to, and manufactures have resisted making that a possibility anyway. Testing has shown that the water in the machines doesn't even get hot enough to do a proper extraction, grounds are OFTEN stale, and there are a myriad of ways that are just as easy (if not more so) to get a cup, that offer exponentially better end product.
"Right now, we seem to value abundance (think burgers too large to eat and overloaded milkshakes) so a recipe that makes use of potato peels (as seen in the Depression) seems less alluring," she continued. "And whereas gelatin salads were once de rigueur, we’ve long ago been there and done that. When you can sous vide at home, a molded dessert with canned fruit suspended inside seems markedly less sophisticated."
Plus, the user explained that our ability to easily communicate and travel throughout the world led to our cuisine preferences shifting as well. "Whereas, at one time, American meals were relegated to a meat, a starch and a vegetable, in recent decades we have begun to see the introduction of more worldwide influences, flavor profiles, techniques, and ingredients in our recipes."
#10
Hopefully sugar and corn syrup being put in *everything*. So much sugar...
Sergy Yeltsen 2 years ago
Why is sugar needed in bread? US bread qualifies as cake in most other countries.
#11
*Fois gras*. I think in the future the objections to *fois gras* will continue to grow to where it will no longer be found on menus. It will go the way of the ortolan.
Irishwoman abroad 2 years ago (edited)
I did not know about ortolans until today - and now I feel like puking!
#12
Large portions — why? French cuisine is really rich, sweet, and salty, but their portions are just smaller. I don’t need to eat a 0.5-1 burger with all the fixins. Why are burritos the size of my arm?
Irishwoman abroad 2 years ago
Yes, I often wonder if Americans who come here think our portions are really stingy, but that's what we're used to, and they do fill you up.
The user’s question caused quite a stir on the 'Cooking' subreddit. Food enthusiasts from far and wide gathered together in one place to discuss the trends they wish everyone would just be done with, and they didn’t hold anything back. AndShesNotEvenPretty told us she liked seeing a lot of the responses. "Some of them I hadn’t thought of but totally agreed with — one person said foam looked like someone spit on your plate. I found myself thinking YES! THIS!"
#13
I would add the milkshakes that have three desserts stacked on them and are spilling all over the place.
#14
Foam. It's disgusting. And unfortunately appears on dishes in high end restaurants. Where it looks like something someone spit onto the plate. Horrifying.
"My favorite comments, and the most encouraging ones, were the people who think meat and factory farming will go the way of the dodo bird. I can only hope that one day my grandkids will be astounded that anyone ate an actual cow." But the user also mentioned that in the meantime, she’ll wait for some of these likely temporary trends to fizzle out.
"Since we are entering a time where everything is getting increasingly expensive, I’m guessing the Bloody Marys with 3 meals worth of garnish or the sandwich hybrids that use entire grilled cheese sandwiches as buns, will be viewed as wasteful and fall out of favor," she added, hoping these recipes and foods will be frowned upon all together.
#16
The Instagram food era. Everything over the top so it looks great on insta but more often than not it's just a mess. It's all about how the food looks not tastes. Can anyone tell me that adding 25-30 toppings to an ice cream cone all made of sugar actually makes the ice cream better? At a certain point you have an ice cream sundae that is all toppings
Sergy Yeltsen 2 years ago
I've heard stories of instagrammers sending back stacks of pancakes because the cook added syrup, only to have more made without syrup so they can pour it "their way" and take photos. And then leave them. "Influencers" are a boil on the rear end of humanity.
#18
Stuff that's cooked inside of a plastic bag, liner, etc. Not to be a conspiracy theorist but I don't think we quite understand how bad plastic leeching is for humans.
When food is becoming practically unaffordable for so many people, the user believes people will change their attitudes towards meals with immoderate amounts of food. "I think it will be seen as tacky to create recipes for sandwiches stacked so tall with toppings so as to render them inedible, for example."
However, AndShesNotEvenPretty felt it’s important to remind you, dear readers, that it all comes down to choice. "Eat what you like whether it’s 'fashionable' or not. I know my husband will never, ever give up French onion dip and potato chips no matter who says charcuterie trays are the way of the future. And that’s ok!"
#19
Artfully smearing a sauce so it looks like a s**t streak on your plate.
Who the f**k thinks that’s appetizing?
#20
Hopefully - industrially farmed meat. It's an incredibly cruel system that inflicts massive amounts of suffering to animals _and_ humans and does great damage to the environment and atmosphere, all for cheap hamburgers. I think we'll look back on it and treat it like other barbaric systems of the past. My hope is that plant based options continue to grow in popularity and people who still choose to eat animal flesh now and then opt for less damaging ones.
Foxxy (The Original) 2 years ago (edited)
I think I will forever eat meat but I do wish the meat I consumed was more sustainable and the animals treated better.
#21
Sloppy, wasteful, revolting food concoctions made for the purposes of entertainment. I would hope that in the future someone would be scorned and derided for doing something like covering your entire countertop in spaghetti and chocolate sauce. I would hope that future historians look back on phenomena like that and think something must have seriously been wrong with us.
#22
Those dumb “hacks” or flashy foods on TikTok and Facebook.
#23
Bloody Marys piled high with extra ingredients like bacon, shrimp, a lobster claw, and all kinds of pickled and spicy things.
#24
Hot Cheeto Burrito
Hot Cheeto Fries
Hot Cheeto powder for your corndog or cheese stick
I don't get it. I loves me some hot cheetos, but they aren't an ingredient.
Marie Dahme 2 years ago
You forgot hot Cheetos Mac and cheese. That’s a thing I saw at Walmart
#25
Hopefully all the pre-packaged and processed garbage our stores are filled with today. People need to re-discover actually cooking with real ingredients, not just re-heating processed industrial nonsense.
BlackestDawn 2 years ago
Then advocate for a better work-life balance and where needed better salaries. For too many people it is the most practical option given available time and money.
#26
“Secret menu” food items got really old really fast. As a former barista, I was expected (by customers) to know every single “secret menu” item that some rando on the internet came up with? No thank you lol.
#27
Meal prep delivery services. It seems like a step in the wrong direction when it comes to wasteful packaging. Every ingredient is individually packaged not to mention perishable ones need extra packaging.
#28
I long for the day that people who use the word "EVOO" are expelled from polite society, then are forced to wander the wastelands to survive on beetles, and hair.
#29
The pastries that are heavily preserved and sold in plastic packaging. Like the Little Debbie cakes.
Irishwoman abroad 2 years ago
Everything that is wrapped up in unnecessary amounts of plastic will be horrifying to us eventually.
#30
deep fried foods like oreo, ice cream etc. stacking calories over calories.
What do you think ?
Boris Long-Johnson 2 years ago
Is it me or is BP being more and more judgemental posts - sure comment on people wasting food etc but what’s wrong with the occasional deep fried mar bar or whether if it makes them happy. If people more accepting maybe we’d have less suffering.
Rocky Mom 2 years ago
No, BP has always been on a bit of high horse of judgement.
Load More Replies...
Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Some of these were right on. Others seem to be a matter of, "I really don't like (fill in the blank) so no one else should like it." Also, some of these things aren't trends. For example, people have been cooking with kale for over at least 2600 years.
Caro Caro 2 years ago (edited)
I love kale. It's been used in the Dutch kitchen for centuries. The classic dish is mashed with potatoes and some smoked sausage on the side. Edit: I forgot the gravy :)
Load More Replies...
Fiona Parky 2 years ago
Mine has to be fad diets. Honestly seems incredibly self obsessed to turn up to a meal with a list of stuff you won’t eat that’s longer than you are tall. It’s just a “look at me, I don’t eat carbs” thing. I have no problem whatsoever with people who have genuine allergies and conditions. You won’t find me eating peanuts on a plane or giving gluten to someone with coeliac disease. I just can’t stand stupid fads that just make life more difficult for people with genuine allergies because no one believes them when they say dairy will make them ill.
Monday 2 years ago (edited)
That has become such a big issue at restaurants. Everyone claims "I'm deathly allergic to X" just because they don't like a particular ingredient. Then when the person with the real allergies comes along everyone just rolls their eyes.
Load More Replies...
Boris Long-Johnson 2 years ago
Is it me or is BP being more and more judgemental posts - sure comment on people wasting food etc but what’s wrong with the occasional deep fried mar bar or whether if it makes them happy. If people more accepting maybe we’d have less suffering.
Rocky Mom 2 years ago
No, BP has always been on a bit of high horse of judgement.
Load More Replies... Powerful Katrinka 2 years ago
Some of these were right on. Others seem to be a matter of, "I really don't like (fill in the blank) so no one else should like it." Also, some of these things aren't trends. For example, people have been cooking with kale for over at least 2600 years.
Caro Caro 2 years ago (edited)
I love kale. It's been used in the Dutch kitchen for centuries. The classic dish is mashed with potatoes and some smoked sausage on the side. Edit: I forgot the gravy :)
Load More Replies... Fiona Parky 2 years ago
Mine has to be fad diets. Honestly seems incredibly self obsessed to turn up to a meal with a list of stuff you won’t eat that’s longer than you are tall. It’s just a “look at me, I don’t eat carbs” thing. I have no problem whatsoever with people who have genuine allergies and conditions. You won’t find me eating peanuts on a plane or giving gluten to someone with coeliac disease. I just can’t stand stupid fads that just make life more difficult for people with genuine allergies because no one believes them when they say dairy will make them ill.
Monday 2 years ago (edited)
That has become such a big issue at restaurants. Everyone claims "I'm deathly allergic to X" just because they don't like a particular ingredient. Then when the person with the real allergies comes along everyone just rolls their eyes.
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