Food-Trends on Social Media – react or ignore?

Food topics play a major role on social media. Current trends can go viral quickly and capture the attention of a huge audience, though often only for a short time. This raises a key question for food companies: should you react to such trends, or can you afford to ignore them? This article offers some answers.

When everyone suddenly started eating pudding with a fork

In the summer of 2025, the idea of eating pudding with a fork spread on TikTok. What began as a lighthearted event in Karlsruhe grew into a nationwide shared experience, occasionally even spilling over into the US. At some events, more than 1,000 people gathered to eat pudding together. Media coverage extended far beyond the usual social media channels, and pudding manufacturers received a wealth of indirect advertising without spending a cent. The supermarket chain Lidl tapped into the trend by featuring a pudding from its private label Milbona being eaten with a fork.

A phenomenon of this scale is rarely seen. In this case, a rather unspectacular product not considered innovative suddenly became a favorite of Generation Z (born 1995 to 2010), a group that is often no longer reachable through classic advertising. The point was never really about the pudding itself. Rather, the group dynamic and the harmless absurdity of the act took center stage, a kind of mild, ironic, and apolitical protest against convention. Companies can tap into such trends profitably in their communications if they understand the mechanics of social media and speak the language of the younger generation. Such a campaign doesn't need to be developed in house; there are now plenty of agencies with the right expertise.

The rise and fall of Dubai chocolate

Another trend that was hard to escape in the media is Dubai chocolate. The chocolate, filled with pistachio cream and thin pastry strands called kadayif, actually originated in the Arab emirate and became known at the end of 2023 through a TikTok video by a food influencer. The clip went viral and subsequently sparked a boom worldwide. In Germany, it reached its peak in the fall of 2024. Dubai chocolate was seen as a highly desirable luxury product that people queued for and that sold out in no time. But the mood soon shifted. Criticism focused mainly on the high price, with ten euros or more per bar being not uncommon, and on the sometimes questionable quality.

There's no clear cut answer to whether and when companies should jump on such a trend. International hypes rarely originate in Germany and often start in the US instead. Once a new product creates a buzz and drives sales there, it's only a matter of time before it reaches supermarkets in Germany too. Whoever is first at the point of sale can end up among the winners. However, such a market entry, which should ideally be paired with an attention grabbing advertising campaign, is costly and therefore not without risk. Not every US trend translates to the German market: the alcoholic beverage hard seltzer, for example, never really broke through here. In addition, the new product needs to fit an existing brand. Dubai chocolate is hardly suited to providers of low cost mass products; it works better for brands already positioned in the premium segment.

The pistachio is the real winner of the Dubai hype

Dubai chocolate hasn't completely disappeared from supermarket shelves and occasionally sees new product variations, but the hype is definitely over. Still, it has left a longer lasting effect thanks to one particular ingredient: the pistachio. The green nut continues to grow in popularity, not just eaten on its own as a snack, but as an ingredient in an ever growing list of products. It's processed into breakfast spreads and pesto, found in granola bars and beverages, and of course in many types of sweets. Retail sales of pistachio products in the food sector have more than doubled in recent years: from 170 million euros in 2021 to 374 million euros in 2025, with the 2025 increase of 48% year over year being especially notable. The Dubai hype's influence is clearly visible here. Many companies have evidently recognized what was really behind the trend: the enjoyment of the taste, and the color, of a small nut from the Orient.

Green like matcha, or purple like ube?

Matcha, too, has its origins in Asia, specifically Japan. The rise of the finely ground green tea powder isn't the result of a sudden internet hype but has unfolded gradually. Some trend forecasters predict matcha will finally break into the mass market in 2026, and indeed, the green powder has long since moved beyond hot beverages into products like ice cream and chocolate.

Others claim matcha has already passed its peak and that the yam variety ube is the next big thing. In the US, Starbucks offers an ube drink, and the tuber, native to the Philippines, has also been spotted in German cafés. It's certainly hard to miss: instead of green like matcha, ube is purple. As the saying goes, we eat and drink with our eyes first. Whether ube will really catch on or turn out to be a flash in the pan remains to be seen. Matcha, in any case, is already more established and has the potential to secure a lasting place in the German market.

Conclusion

Food companies aiming to succeed with younger target audiences should definitely keep an eye on what's happening on social media. Trends like eating pudding with a fork can be tapped into successfully if there's a feel for the right tone and approach. Launching new products in response to an internet hype carries more risk. The hype can fade quickly, and the supposed innovation can suddenly feel like old news. The examples of Dubai chocolate and the pistachio show that the direct route isn't always the best one, and sometimes it's the detour that leads to success.

Source (pistachios): https://yougov.com/de-de/artikel/54173-deutsche-knabbern-pistazien-am-liebsten-pur