Top Food Trends of 2023

Our hand-picked collection of the top food trends of 2023. The topics in this report on today’s emerging food trends are selected for their high growth across sites including Google, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon. Read more about how we track global trends.

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Marry Me Chicken

31K
Past Month Searches
+160%
Past Year Change

Marry Me chicken is a dish that is made up of chicken breast cutlets with sundried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream as key ingredients and then garnished with fresh basil leaves. The Marry Me chicken can also be served with pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread. …  Read more

Lesser Evil Popcorn

4.7K
Past Month Searches
+109%
Past Year Change

Lesser Evil Popcorn is a line of popcorn that is made without using artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. The popcorn is made with non-GMO corn and is gluten-free. …  Read more

Beef Tallow

35K
Past Month Searches
+95%
Past Year Change

Beef tallow is a type of animal fat that is rendered from beef. The fat is often used in cooking as a high-heat cooking oil, as well as in soap making and skin care products. …  Read more

Salmon Bites

13K
Past Month Searches
+78%
Past Year Change

Salmon bites are a type of appetizer that is made from salmon. The salmon is typically chopped into small pieces and then mixed with a variety of seasonings and spices. The bites are then typically breaded and fried or baked. …  Read more

Catalina Crunch

10K
Past Month Searches
+65%
Past Year Change

Catalina Crunch is a fast-growing food startup that offers keto-friendly cereal, cookies, and snack food. The snack is low in sugar and calories, and uses high-quality, natural ingredients. …  Read more

Bento Cake

69K
Past Month Searches
+64%
Past Year Change

A Bento Cake is a mini cake that is made to be eaten in small bites and is packed in a takeout box. The cake is typically made with a variety of flavors and textures and is often decorated with colorful frosting or fruit. …  Read more

Malatang

20K
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+62%
Past Year Change

Malatang is a Chinese soup that is made with spicy broth and various types of meat and vegetables. The soup is meant to be eaten as a meal or as a snack. …  Read more

Birria Ramen

6.2K
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+60%
Past Year Change

Birria Ramen is a ramen dish that is made with a goat meat broth. The broth is flavored with chilies, cumin, and other spices, and is served with ramen noodles, goat meat, and vegetables. …  Read more

Crumbl Cookies

620K
Past Month Searches
+58%
Past Year Change

Crumbl Cookies is a US-based cookie company founded in 2017 and known for its more than 200 unique cookie flavors, weekly rotating menu, and pink box packaging. The cookie company also offers a mobile app with features such as subscriptions, delivery, curbside pickup, catering, and shipping. …  Read more

Bulking Foods

5.3K
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+33%
Past Year Change

Bulking foods are foods that are meant to be consumed in order to gain weight. The foods are typically high in calories and protein, and are meant to be consumed in conjunction with a weightlifting routine. …  Read more

Gopchang

6.8K
Past Month Searches
+32%
Past Year Change

Gopchang is a type of Korean sausage that is made from beef intestines. The sausage is usually grilled or boiled and is a popular dish in Korea. …  Read more

Mochi Donut

11K
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+30%
Past Year Change

Mochi Donuts are a Japanese-inspired pastry that is made from a soft, doughy mochi rice cake that is deep-fried and coated in a sweet glaze. The donuts are then topped with various flavors and textures, such as sprinkles, nuts, and chocolate. …  Read more

Mazesoba

3.1K
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+29%
Past Year Change

Mazesoba is a dish that combines elements of ramen and soba noodles. The dish is made by cooking the noodles in a broth and then adding in various toppings such as pork, vegetables, and eggs. …  Read more

Buldak Chicken

4.9K
Past Month Searches
+29%
Past Year Change

Buldak chicken is a Korean dish made of chicken that is marinated in a spicy sauce. The chicken is then grilled or pan-fried, and is often served with rice and vegetables. …  Read more

Korean Hot Pot

16K
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+27%
Past Year Change

A Korean Hot Pot is a pot that is used to cook a variety of foods in a broth at the table. The pot is typically filled with a spicy broth and a variety of meats, vegetables, and noodles are added to the pot to cook. …  Read more

Salmon Bowl

27K
Past Month Searches
+20%
Past Year Change

A salmon bowl is a dish that combines cooked salmon with rice and vegetables. The dish can be served either hot or cold, and is a popular choice for a healthy and easy-to-make meal. …  Read more

Rose Tteokbokki

2.2K
Past Month Searches
+18%
Past Year Change

Rose Tteokbokki is a type of tteokbokki, or Korean rice cake, that is made with a rose sauce. The sauce is made with a mix of gochujang, soy sauce, sugar, and rice vinegar, and is often garnished with chopped scallions and sesame seeds. …  Read more

Street Corn

70K
Past Month Searches
+15%
Past Year Change

Street Corn is a dish that is made of grilled corn that is slathered in a creamy sauce and topped with cheese, chili powder, and lime juice. The dish is popular in Mexico and is often sold by street vendors. …  Read more

Bao Bun

52K
Past Month Searches
+7%
Past Year Change

Bao buns are a type of steamed bun that is popular in East Asia. The bun is made of flour, yeast, sugar, and water and is often filled with pork, beef, or vegetables. …  Read more

Tteokbokki

97K
Past Month Searches
+4%
Past Year Change

Tteokbokki is a popular Korean dish made of rice cakes and a spicy sauce. The dish is typically cooked in a pot on the stove, but can also be made in a microwave. …  Read more

Exotic Snacks

4.6K
Past Month Searches
+1%
Past Year Change

Exotic snacks are snacks that are made with ingredients that are not typically found in mainstream snacks. The snacks can be made from a variety of different ingredients, including but not limited to, spices, fruits, and vegetables. …  Read more

Charcuterie Boards

8.3K
Past Month Searches
-1%
Past Year Change

A charcuterie board is a board that is filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, condiments, and other accoutrements. The board is meant to be shared as an appetizer or a main course. …  Read more

Pinsa Romana

11K
Past Month Searches
-1%
Past Year Change

Pinsa Romana is an Italian flatbread that is made with a unique dough that is a combination of wheat and rice flour. The dough is said to be more digestible than usual pizza dough and has a slightly sweet flavor. …  Read more

Poke Bowl

293K
Past Month Searches
-9%
Past Year Change

A Poke Bowl is a bowl of rice or salad topped with raw fish, vegetables, and a sauce. The dish is said to have originated in Hawaii and is growing in popularity in the mainland United States. …  Read more

Quesabirria Tacos

7.2K
Past Month Searches
-10%
Past Year Change

Quesabirria tacos are a type of taco that is made from a grilled quesadilla. The quesadilla is filled with cheese, meats, and vegetables, and is then grilled until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crispy. …  Read more

Croffle

16K
Past Month Searches
-21%
Past Year Change

A Croffle is a combination of a waffle and a croissant. The waffle is made with croissant dough, which is then cooked on a waffle pan to create a grid pattern. …  Read more

SnackMagic

841
Past Month Searches
-24%
Past Year Change

SnackMagic is a platform that allows users to build their own box of snack treats or swag for gifting. The service simplifies gifting whether it's for one person or thousands by allowing users to choose from a menu of snacks and other goodies or pre-curated boxes. …  Read more

Trend Highlight – Healthy Snacking is on the Rise

As screen time grows, and consumers increasingly watch with a phone in hand (one 2019 survey put the share of TV watchers who do this at 55%), there's a battle for the last hand, and healthy snacking options are aiming to win it by becoming one-hand-eating friendly.

Protein powder has been growing in popularity for years, and while it's a good way to add protein to shakes and smoothies, it's not very compatible with preexisting meal habits. Quest Chips is a growing brand of protein chips that’s at the center of these trends.

One feature of chips, compared to bars, is that consumption is more continuous rather than discrete. If you planned on eating a single bar, it's hard to accidentally eat a bar and a half. But with chips, it's easy to passively consume them. That's especially possible while doing something else; there's a whole category of listicles that recommend the right snack for binge-viewing Netflix, and even an abundance of articles on content pairings for particular shows.

Rather than a traditional meal that could require a fork, knife, and plate, TV-focused snackers are increasingly seeking out hand-held snacks. A snack for gaming, a snack for texting, or a snack for watching TV. Food companies noticed and started pushing to create snacks that are utensil-free and clean-up-free.

Snacking has been growing too and, as this happens, the line between snacks and meals is blurring. Research shows that consumers are eating more meals at non-standard times and that snacks now account for over half the times younger generations eat. It’s a function of a more fragmented day that's less likely to be bookended by a context-setting commute.

Trend Highlight – The Fascinating Economics of Breakfast Food

Cereal, the most common breakfast food in America, is a huge business that has been on the decline. American spending on cereal fell from nearly $14B in 2000 to $9B in 2018.

 

While cereal is inexpensive, sweet, and easy to prepare, consumers' growing interest in eating less sugar has cut into sales.

 

Catalina Crunch, a healthy breakfast cereal company is trying to bring cereal back alongside similar companies like Magic Spoon which has grown over 1000% and $85M since we featured it in Glimpse 3 years ago. It's targeting those that left cereal for healthier options and those who are still frequent users but are looking for something more nutritious.

 

Because of how cereal has traditionally been distributed in retail stores, the competition has been around who can put the brightest colors and boldest fonts onto the front of the box to get consumers' attention in the aisle. By selling directly to the consumer, these cereal brands don't have to fight for attention this way and can instead focus on finding relevant customers on relevant channels.

 

One way these brands are able to sell at nearly 2.5x the price of traditional cereals is by positioning the product as an alternative to premium healthy breakfast foods like protein shakes or smoothies and by targeting adults who control their own food budgets.

 

Unlike other meals of the day, breakfast is the one where consumers tend to be okay with eating the same thing every day, so once a cereal customer turns into a daily user, there's a consistent and profitable revenue stream.

Trend Highlight – Why SnackMagic Is So Popular

SnackMagic, a snack box company, went from $0-20M in revenue in a mere 8 months.

 

Over the past 3 years, software that helps companies hire internationally has grown rapidly. Deel–one of the fastest companies to ever scale to $100M in ARR–helps teams run HR internationally. But cultural infrastructure is now having to play catchup.

 

The days of on-tap kombucha, massage Fridays, and mediation rooms may be on pause as companies reevaluate their strategies for a new era.

 

And everyone is trying to get in on the shift: Food delivery businesses like Doordash and Uber Eats say they’re benefiting from the move to digital perks. Airbnb is running ads for “international remote team bonding” experiences. The Zebra, a fast-growing insurance startup, even offers to cover employees’ cost of adopting a pet as they work from home and may be lonely.

 

When it comes to snacks and meals though, there’s a new challenge: carving out time for meals when the day has less structure and is less likely to be portioned off by a context-setting commute.

 

And while working from home means workers can easily pick their own snacks, it also typically means they’d need to pay. With SnackMagic, employers send out a link and everyone gets to build their own snack box on the company’s dime. The concept exploded and with it, the company’s success: SnackMagic now orchestrates snack programs for everyone from small startups to Google, Amazon, and Salesforce.

Trend Highlight – The Rise of Wagyu Beef

When Instagram first started influencing restaurant traffic, some restaurants switched from round plates to square ones to fit in with the social media company’s image format, which was square-only until mid-2015. The rectangular shape maximizes the amount of food in the frame and helped restaurants stand out in the feed.

In similar ways, restaurants are increasingly putting more effort into eye-catching interior decoration rather than exterior design; if more customers are choosing dinner based on their social media feeds, rather than by walking down the street, it's what's on the inside of the restaurant that counts.

And as TikTok and YouTube usage continues to rise, the popularity of aspirational dining grows too. Wagyu beef, a type of meat prized for its marbling, is a luxury food with strong visual appeal, making it popular for this type of content. Millions of consumers watch videos of wagyu being cooked and eaten even though most can’t afford it on a regular or even semi-regular basis.

Its aspirational nature is also clear when looking at the numbers. The "Wagyu" tag has almost 3 billion views on TikTok, compared to 1/5th that volume for “Barbacoa”, another type of meat, despite Barbacoa having higher consumption.

This widespread appeal creates buzz and the increased buzz eventually helps get the product in front of the consumers who can afford it, driving up sales in the long run. It’s a marketing strategy many companies use: Lean into the features of a product that appeal to a less relevant but wider audience as a way to create a buzz that draws in the ultimate target audience.

There has been pushback on marketing non-Japanese beef as Wagyu, especially from 1997 to 2003, when the Japanese government banned the export of Wagyu cows. Since then, different varieties like American Wagyu and Australian Wagyu have grown in popularity.

Expensive foods, more broadly, are an important export for Japan. Consumer behavior studies have shown that gift recipients put more value on an expensive version of a typically cheap item than on an average-priced version of something usually more expensive, even if the price tag of the latter is higher. This means that a $300 bottle of wine would be received more favorably than a $1,000 computer.

Trend Highlight – Why Beef Tallow Is Becoming Popular Again

Mass adoption of electric lighting in the 1900s is, surprisingly, the reason consumers first switched from cooking with animal fats to cooking with vegetable oils.

 

At that time, Proctor & Gamble was largely in the business of making candles and candle demand was falling as electric lighting took off. P&G’s massive infrastructure for processing cottonseed oil, the key ingredient in their candles, was in danger of becoming obsolete so they started using the same material to produce shortening, turning into the massively popular cooking product Crisco in 1911.

 

Consumers were initially hesitant to switch from their seemingly healthy and natural lard to what they saw as processed candle wax, but P&G pushed hard to convince the world that Crisco was superior. To do so, they sent samples to food scientists and hospitals then later advertised the fact that hospitals and schools used it. They also embarked on a massive campaign to put out cookbooks with recipes that called for Crisco.

 

More recently, it’s becoming popular again to cook with animal fats like beef tallow. Aside from the supposed health benefits of tallow, demand for butter alternatives is on the rise. As more consumers buy food online, there’s a clear advantage to tallow–which has a long shelf life without the need for refrigeration, helping it fit into the standard ecommerce supply chain better than food like butter.

 

Interest in beef tallow regained momentum when factory farms attempted to figure out how to repackage their byproducts into something they could sell. Some brands, like Ancestral Supplements, lean directly into the saying that “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. The company has a unique business: taking the parts of agricultural farm animals that are usually discarded, and selling them for a premium as ”Grass Fed Beef Brain Supplements”. Their top products, including Beef Organs and Beef Liver, each have several thousand reviews on Amazon.

Trend Highlight – The Surging Popularity of Meal Replacements

For many people these days, time is the ultimate currency. And while meal replacement shakes have been around since the 1950s, it's the marketing that has shifted to focus on productivity that has given this category a comeback.

 

Back then, meal replacement products were marketed with great success as weight-loss tools — today's iterations are marketed instead as healthy meal alternatives to productivity-minded professionals and on-the-go consumers. Metrecal, which led the craze half a century ago, likewise used convenience as a selling point, encouraging customers in one ad to keep the cans in their car's glove box.

 

Today's category leader, Soylent, first sold itself as the non-food of choice for too-busy-to-eat Silicon Valley workers, but it's now facing a rising tide of competition. Huel, which likewise sells an array of powdered and ready-to-drink shakes, announced in 2019 that it had surpassed 50 million meals sold, and interest in the brand is growing at a faster pace than it is for Soylent.

 

Huel says its customers include doctors, students, and shift workers on top of fitness buffs and efficiency-obsessed tech executives. Soylent, too, has shifted focus to a much broader consumer base, rolling out nationwide in Walmarts earlier this year. In both cases, though, the focus is on offering "nutritionally complete" meals rather than low-calorie products — a message that mirrors the broader cultural shift toward health and wellness over weight loss.

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    KeywordGraph - 5 YearsGrowth - YoY
    Poke Bowl
    -9%
    Marry Me Chicken
    160%
    Birria Ramen
    60%
    Crumbl Cookies
    58%
    Bento Cake
    64%
    Croffle
    -21%
    Gopchang
    32%
    Mochi Donut
    30%
    Pinsa Romana
    -1%
    Exotic Snacks
    1%

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