These Recipes Sum Up 2021 To A T

In a year of dramatic twists and turns, many took to the social media platform TikTok to escape from the world for at least a few minutes at a time. Even if you don't have a TikTok account, it's likely that you've still witnessed the various trends that have come straight from the application. Musicians like Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X and brands like Gap and L'Oréal have benefitted from the exposure that they have received on TikTok, according to the social media platform. A recent study conducted by TikTok shows that a whopping seven out of ten users believe that the communities on TikTok have the power to influence and change the culture.

TikTok has also influenced restaurant and food trends in the past year. After seeing a restaurant featured on the social media application, around 36 percent of TikTok users have ordered a meal from that restaurant, according to a study conducted by marketing agency MGH. TikTok also showcased the popularity of recent dining trends that began off the application, like plant-based diets and sourdough bread.

These are the recipes that represent the biggest food trends of 2021.

The baked feta pasta recipe was originally posted to TikTok by Finnish food blogger Jenni Hayrinen in 2019, according to Food Network. Even two years after it was posted on the social media platform, the recipe, which contains cherry tomatoes, an entire block of feta cheese, garlic, basil, and tender pasta, is still one of the most iconic food trends. In fact, as Eat This Not That reported, it became so popular in Finland that the country actually ran out of feta cheese.

In the past few years, more people than ever have been trying out a plant-based diet. According to Harvard Health Publishing, this diet mostly revolves around the consumption of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and whole grains, though meat and dairy are still consumed in moderation. Many recipes have emerged, like the BBQ Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches recipe from Food Network, that puts an interesting spin on a favorite meal. The recipe consists of jackfruit slathered in barbecue sauce, sandwiched between a potato roll, and topped with a healthier version of slaw.

Though it first emerged on TikTok in the early days of 2021, the popularity of the folded tortilla sandwich far surpassed TikTok, quickly finding its way into Facebook and Instagram feeds, as well as into kitchens all over the world. For those who may be unfamiliar with the TikTok trend, the folded tortilla sandwich consists of four ingredients, like cheese, chicken, avocado, and a sauce of some kind, that are divided into separate quarters on a tortilla. These quartered off ingredients are then stacked together and then grilled on a stove or panini press, according to Inquiring Chef.

While the bread-making trend may have originated in 2020 in the midst of the quarantine boredom at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it still has maintained its popularity in 2021. However, at-home bakers have now moved on to more complicated bread than simple sourdoughs. Case in point: the goat's cheese, rosemary, and red grape focaccia bread recipe from Good Housekeeping. Though it contains quite a few interesting ingredients, the bread is not entirely too complicated to make on your own, as it takes only a few hours to rise and a matter of minutes to bake and perfect.

Even though it was first posted by TikTok user Sherwayne Mears, nature's cereal, which consists of fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and pomegranate seeds, coconut water, and ice, was eventually popularized by the queen of everything herself, Lizzo. According to Food52, Lizzo's version of the nature cereal contained strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate, coconut water, and a few ice cubes. This healthier version of sugary cereal only takes a few minutes to craft and tastes great.