by Magnolia Wang ’19, Staff Writer

I’ll admit it — trendy foods are my weakness.  In fact, I’ve paid a hefty $15 for a small smoothie bowl, driven for forty minutes to get the best bubble tea, and  waited in line for an hour for edible cookie dough.  One might ask, what are trendy foods?  Are they really worth it?  Find out below.

1. Activated Charcoal

Boasting detoxifying benefits, activated charcoal can be added to ice cream, burger buns, waffles, and even lattes.  Ubiquitous in Instagram feeds and Snapchat stories, the unique black hue charcoal adds to food has caused quite a buzz.  Although intimidating in appearance, activated charcoal has long been a staple in hospitals, preventing lethal overdoses of drugs from being absorbed by the body.  Though some claim that the charcoal tastes like cement,  charcoal actually does not  bring much flavor into the food — but its color sure is cool!

2. Unicorn Food

Kickstarted by the infamous Unicorn Frappuccino, the Unicorn Trend involves any food with pink, blue, and purple coloring, along with the occasional dash of edible glitter and sprinkles.  Similar to activated charcoal, the unicorn trend is not big on flavor, but more so focused on the aesthetic.  The dazzling colors have been found on cupcakes, milkshakes, grilled cheese, and even sushi.

3. Ube Desserts

Ube, a root vegetable with a distinct lavender color, is popular in soft serve ice cream, donuts, crepe cakes, and mochi rice balls.  Ube, native to the Philippines, was first made into a soft pastry called ube halaya, consisting of boiled and mashed ube and coconut milk.  Nowadays, ube dessert shops have sprung up across the country, serving desserts made exclusively from the plant.

4. Smoothie Bowls

The popularity of smoothie bowls exploded last summer, with shops such as Playa Bowls and Frutta Bowls offering as many as 20 different varieties on their menu.  Most smoothie bowls consist of a base, toppings, and drizzle. The most popular smoothie bowl consists of a blended açai base; granola, strawberry, banana, and blueberry toppings; and a honey drizzle on top. And because many smoothie bowls fetch high prices (I’ve seen $20 smoothie bowls!), I prefer to make mine at home. I think they taste even better!  Most ingredients, including frozen açai, can be purchased at local supermarkets.

5. Avocados

Avocados are incredibly nutritious, abundant in Vitamin C and K, as well as packed with potassium and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. In fact, avocados have even more potassium than bananas!  Avocado recipes became extremely popular last year, especially with the creation of avocado toast: a piece of toast with avocado spread on it.  Although avocado toast tastes good, I do not think that the avocados make as good a substitute for butter as many have claimed it to be.  In fact, the substitution of avocado as burger buns, latte cups, and cheesecake filling prove to me that the avocado craze has gone a little too far.

6. Deconstructed Food

To me, deconstructed food is a pretty creative concept — taking a food, breaking it down to its essential components, and serving it. This allows the diner to appreciate the individual flavors, or even reconstruct the food to his or her liking.  For example, deconstructed coffee can be served in 3 glasses: one with black coffee, one with hot water, and one with milk, letting diners create the coffee themselves.  Though deconstructed food can be fun to order, it can sometimes be disappointing — imagine being served spaghetti bolognese in 3 separate containers for the pasta, tomato sauce, and ground beef. The task of eating can become tedious.

7. Alternative Pasta

There are many pasta alternatives, including the most popular zucchini noodles (also known as “zoodles”), butternut squash noodles, and chickpea pasta.  These pasta alternatives are very versatile, as they can be eaten raw as a garnish in salads and soups, or cooked with pasta sauce on top.  As an alternative pasta enthusiast, I recommend consuming zoodles as a way to incorporate more fiber and Vitamin C into your diet.  Zoodles also have a similar texture to noodles, and upon first bite release a mild, slightly sweet flavor that complements tomato sauce.

8. Poke bowls

Poke bowls often include sushi-grade salmon and tuna, as well as avocado, carrots, and edamame.  After being skeptical of the taste, I finally caved in while on vacation in Hawaii, where poke was invented.  (Fun fact: Even Costcos in Hawaii sell poke bowls!)  I was really impressed with the succulent texture of salmon that paired well with the chive-infused soy sauce.  Poke bowls are also very nutritious, the fish and avocado providing healthy fats, and the edamame and carrots supplying a good source of protein and Vitamin A.  Like smoothie bowls, poke bowls can get expensive, but they are relatively easy to make at home.  Poke Bowls are as colorful as they are tasty!

9. Edible Cookie Dough

I’ve waited in line for an hour to get a scoop of cookie dough at DO Cookie Dough Confections, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with my order of Signature Chocolate Chip.  The texture was soft and velvety — the perfect combination of smooth, crunchy, and sweet.  It was reminiscent of the countless times I snuck gobfuls of raw cookie batter into my mouth.  The secret to the best edible cookie dough?  Eggs!  At DO Confections, eggs are specially pasteurized, killing all bacteria before being added to the mixture.  No salmonella here!

10. Bubble tea

Bubble tea, a drink that originated in Taiwan, has been a staple in Asian restaurants and food markets for years.  Recently, it has become really popular, appealing to Asians and non-Asians alike.  Most bubble teas consist of chewy tapioca balls and fruit jelly in milk teas or fruit juices.  My favorite boba tea shop is CoCo Bubble Tea, which just opened in 99 Ranch Chinese Supermarket in Edison, NJ.  I always order the “Three Brothers”: black milk tea with large tapioca, yellow custard pudding, and grass jelly. The differences in texture make the drink delectable and refreshing.  Even though the shop is really far away, the boba makes the drive worth it.

All in all, food trends are worth giving a try.  Even though these foods seem to be “new” or “basic,” they usually have ties to traditional or foreign cuisine that one should be aware of.  Next time, when considering trendy food, remember that it’s great to have an open-minded palate, being willing to experience what other foodies around the world are buzzing about.