With the popularity of social media platforms influencing how we communicate and share experiences, we see many new foods that are satisfying to the eyes and taste buds. In influential cities across America, there are desserts with common ingredients remade into works of art. In New York, we see a dessert that follows the ever present ASMR (Autonomous sensory meridian response) community on the Internet specifically Instagram. Rolled ice cream is a Thai dessert that is served in an interesting fashion. The process of creating this Taiwanese edible art starts with liquid ice cream poured onto a cold metal surface. As the ice cream solidifies, mix-ins are added into the paste. After the mix-ins are distributed throughout the ice cream, it is scraped off the surface into the most satisfying spirals.
Instagram-able ice cream treats are not only on the east coast. Yummi Bunni, an ice cream shop located in downtown Fort Wayne, has popularized the doughnut ice cream sandwich. The doughnut bun full of ice cream conveniently fits in one hand, so you can use the other to snap a picture.
For a warmer and more luxurious take on edible art, our attention is directed to The Dirty Cookie on the west coast. The Dirty Cookie turns a classic childhood treat, milk and cookies, into an Instagram-friendly cookie shot. This specialty hand-made cookie is coated with Belgian chocolate and filled with milk. This company prides itself on striving to make the highest quality cookie and change the perspective of what a cookie can be. Making a product attractive to customers has always been a goal by companies, and can manifest in many ways. Starting in 2017, there seems to be trends in the way foods are packed to meet this goal.
After the bubble tea trend in 2015, it has come back with a new look. As if the colorful milk-like tea on top of edible spheres wasn’t aesthetically pleasing enough, it is now sold in light bulb shaped bottles. Much like the recent Mason jar frenzy, the glass light bulb vessel is on the rise. Unlike the “homemade” audience mason jars pandered to, these bulbs of tea seem to take a more bright and colorful take on beverages. Shops are quickly finding ways to put their own signature on this new trend. Mini Monster in Anaheim has paired the tea with cotton candy to create a massive “cloud” with a bulb hanging on the bottom. On the other side of the country Viiza, a restaurant in Brooklyn, has poured colorful green teas, sodas, and even mixed drinks into these light bulb glasses.
All of these Instagram worthy treats show how social media is turning food culture into a more creative space. It will be very interesting to see how all of the new creations made into the perfect shot for social media, continue to shape the food industry in 2017.
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