The rise of FoodTok

TikTok has become a place for entertainment, drama, gossip, education, and where we have witnessed the rise of FoodTok. For many young people, especially students, FoodTok has become one of the most accessible and informative places on the internet to discover recipes, meal prep ideas, and food inspiration. It’s available to everyone, so we no longer need to watch cooking shows on Saturday mornings or buy a cooking book, as we have access to thousands of recipes at the touch of a button. Whether you’re changing your lifestyle, baking on a budget, or cooking for gym gains, FoodTok has the answer.

What makes FoodTok even more engaging, is the interactive community that forms around it

With a cooking platform based on social media, we can partake in the food community through comments and video responses, allowing us to interact with our favourite creators. It enables us to ask for top tips when cooking or to ask for dishes to be made with certain ingredients. Whether you have an allergy, dislike, or need to use up something from your fridge, often asking in the comments can offer you a quick personalised solution. We curate the content we see and what our creators make, presenting us with the best inspiration.

What makes FoodTok even more engaging is the interactive community that forms around it. Social media lets us go beyond just watching, it allows us to participate. On FoodTok, you can, ask for advice, or even suggest recipe changes based on our preferences. Whether you have allergies, certain dislikes, or random ingredients to use up, dropping a comment often gets you personalised suggestions. This back-and-forth interaction allows us to curate the content we see, where we help shape the content we see and what our creators post, providing us a steady stream of content.

Many of us have been brought up with a familiar culture of food, eating and cooking what we grew up eating from our parents. There are so many recipe books out there and it can be difficult to know where to begin when looking for new ideas of food to cook. TikTok can help us here, with its infamous algorithm saving us time by offering a unique twist on a classic recipe.

It can be deeply engaging to watch a dish come together in under a minute, from raw ingredients to a beautiful meal

Every creator on FoodTok has their own niche, but each has the common goal to entertain and inspire their followers, and they do this successfully. Many times, we are simply watching these videos in bed, whilst commuting, or between lectures, with no intention to cook or bake any of the recipes that come up. But why are we so fascinated by simply watching food online?

When we scroll through food videos purely for entertainment rather than education, they tap into both our senses and emotions, sparking visual pleasure with vibrant colours, textures, and the artistry behind the presentation. It can be deeply engaging to watch a dish come together in under a minute, from raw ingredients to a beautiful meal. Similarly, while TikTok can sometimes seem like an unhealthy platform of ads, gossip, and comparison, FoodTok seems to be the one area where we can simply relax. We can enjoy the repetitive actions of cooking or learn about new cuisines and techniques from the comfort of our home.

As well as the comfort and inspiration that straightforward content such as cooking brings, it is inherently impossible to look at FoodTok without acknowledging the trends of Mukbang and food ASMR. Both forms of food content represent the intersection between sensory engagement, and emotional connection, and offer viewers a slow, immersive experience that stimulates multiple senses at once. Whether it’s through the virtual companionship of a Mukbang host, or the soothing sounds of ASMR, both provide pleasure in unique ways, while continuing to shape the broader culture of FoodTok.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration, connection, or simply a moment to unwind, FoodTok offers something for everyone, redefining how we engage with food in the digital age.