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The pickle prophecy -

In recent years, a startling new and unexpected food obsession has taken over the Gen Z sphere, and it all has to do with pickles. Social media, especially TikTok, is flooded with pickle-related content, from brine-drinking challenges to pickle-flavored everything.

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The great brine awakening -

From drinking pickle juice straight from the jar to turning pickles into glittery, spicy creations, Gen Z has embraced pickles in ways that are as eccentric as they are enthusiastic. Even celebrities like Dua Lipa have joined the trend by making pickle-infused drinks.

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The avocado analogy - Like avocados in the early 2000s, pickles are versatile, nutritious, and increasingly trendy. However, unlike the avocado—an expensive, luxury-status food—pickles are cheap. They fit into Gen Z’s frugal yet trend-conscious lifestyle, offering both flavor and financial sensibility.

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The cult of gut health -

Pickles' rise in popularity aligns with the growing obsession with gut health. Probiotic-rich, fermented foods are the new wellness craze, and pickles fit perfectly into the narrative of improving digestion while enjoying bold, briny flavors.

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Pandemic pickles -

TikTok’s pickle obsession can be traced back to the early days of the pandemic, when boredom led people to experiment with content. Drinking pickle juice or trying bizarre pickle combinations became viral clickbait, and it fueled the social media-driven rise of the humble brined cucumber.

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Make it commerce -

The consumer goods industry quickly jumped on the trend, rolling out pickle-flavored versions of nearly everything: Goldfish, Mountain Dew, hard seltzers, Doritos, and even gummy vitamins. Pickles had moved from grandma’s fridge to mainstream marketing gold.

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The rise of the 'pick me' pantry - A recent viral tweet listed pickles alongside tinned fish, dates, dark chocolate, and bone broth as “pick me” foods—items people flaunt online for validation. These foods signal a certain cultivated taste, which makes eaters feel special (perhaps even superior) for their refined preferences.

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A sophisticated diet - Experts believe that “pick me” foods give off an aura of sophistication. They feel cultured, slightly exotic, and aesthetically superior to everyday meals, making them ideal for social media flexing and fostering online communities of self-proclaimed food connoisseurs.

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Controversy fuels engagement -

Not everyone loves pickles, olives, or tinned fish, and that’s precisely why they trend. Food discourse thrives on debate—whether it’s disgust or devotion, these divisive foods drive engagement. Social media thrives on conflict, and pickles provide just the right amount of drama.

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From humble to haute cuisine -

Trendy foods often start as cheap staples before being rebranded as upscale delicacies. Pickles, much like oysters before them, are now being elevated into gourmet status by brands eager to capitalize on their newfound cultural cachet.

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The great cycle of 'it foods' -

Food trends used to trickle down from elite chefs, cookbooks, and pop culture. But today, they emerge bottom-up from social media, where viral foods turn into mainstream grocery products and brands scramble to make expensive versions of once-humble and formerly cheap ingredients.

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The Instagram effect -

Instagram changed how food trends operate by prioritizing visual appeal. Avocado toast, rainbow bagels, and overloaded milkshakes dominated the platform. But now, the trend has shifted to curated grocery hauls, where even a can of olives can be a status symbol.

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The ‘snackwave’ rebellion - In the 2010s, social media platform Tumblr experienced the “snackwave” movement, which rejected perfect food aesthetics in favor of indulgent and ironic love for cheeseburgers or pizza. Today’s trend of loving 'gross' foods like pickles and tinned fish carries the same energy—a rejection of traditional food norms in favor of quirky individualism.

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The age of assemblage -

Unlike previous food trends centered around complex recipes, today’s trending foods are all about curation. Gen Z’s food culture is more about assembling a stylish charcuterie spread rather than cooking from scratch.

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Grocery shopping as social currency -

Inflation has turned even basic grocery shopping into a status flex. A picture of a colorful, curated grocery cart posted online signals taste, wealth, and cultural awareness, as everyday shopping morphs into a performative act of self-branding.

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Hot spots of tourism -

High-end grocery stores have become tourist attractions. Influencers flaunt their expensive, aesthetically curated food hauls, turning supermarkets into cultural landmarks where food is not just sustenance, but a lifestyle statement.

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Pickles as a rebellion -

Gen Z’s love for pickles may also be a rejection of the avocado era’s extravagance. Where millennials indulged in expensive brunches, Gen Z finds joy in cheaper, low-maintenance foods. Pickles are trendy, but they’re also practical and budget-friendly.

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The Warholian grocery shelf -

Food branding has reached a point of absurdity. Just as artist Andy Warhol turned Campbell’s soup cans into pop art, today’s influencers have turned mundane grocery items into status symbols, proving that even a bottle of olive oil can be aspirational.

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The olive oil paradox -

Graza, a trendy olive oil brand with sleek packaging and a squeeze-top bottle, is an example of how everyday pantry staples have seen major rebranding by some companies in an effort to make them appear more “luxurious.”

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The unexpected bean boom -

Beans have become the latest trendy food. Surprisingly, the rise of the “dense bean salad” on TikTok has seen influencers go viral and become overnight stars thanks to their marketing of these legumes.

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Naming is everything -

One particular viral TikTok video rebranded an ordinary chickpea salad as “dense bean salad,” making it sound more substantial, nutritious, and trendy. The power of a single descriptive word turned an otherwise boring dish into a cultural sensation.

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TikTok: the new food critic -

Unlike traditional food media, TikTok has democratized trendsetting. A single influencer can make a product explode in popularity overnight, leading brands to shift their marketing strategies toward quick, visually engaging content instead of traditional advertising.

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Economic necessity -

Rising food prices are pushing consumers toward more affordable protein sources. Beans, which have been long overlooked, are now being framed as an intentional, health-forward choice rather than just a budget-friendly fallback.

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The fiber frontier - Food trend analysts predict that fiber-rich foods will be the next big thing. As health concerns shift toward gut health and digestion, ingredients like lentils, figs, and popcorn could soon have their viral moment.

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The social media food loop -

Trendy foods now follow a predictable cycle: they start as organic social media obsessions, gain meme status, attract brand investment, and then inevitably become overexposed and ridiculed. It remains to be seen whether other "pick me" foods, like pickles, will follow the same cycle.

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The espresso martini effect -

Much like pickles, espresso martinis have also seen a sudden resurgence in popularity, driven by social media aesthetics. Their appeal is rooted in nostalgia, bold flavors, and even a touch of rebellion against the overly polished, health-conscious trends of the past decade.

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The paradox of authenticity -

Consumers want their food trends to feel organic and 'real,' yet they also fall for strategic rebranding efforts. The tension between authenticity and commercialism defines modern food culture, where skepticism coexists with an insatiable appetite for the next big thing.

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The ephemeral nature of food trends -

Pickles may be the star of the moment, but just as avocados and bacon had their time in the sun, their peak popularity won’t last forever. The cycle continues, and soon another unassuming ingredient will take center stage, riding the next viral wave.

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More than just food -

At its core, the rise of “pick me” foods is about more than just taste—it’s about community, identity, and self-expression. Whether it’s pickles, olives, or dense bean salad, these foods serve as cultural markers in an era where what we eat is as much about who we are as it is about flavor.

Sources: (Vox) (The New York Times) (Britannica)

See also: Strange foods you won't believe people used to eat

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