“Viral food content not only captivates the public’s attention but also encourages them to try new items, often propelling these concepts into mainstream menus,” Datassential said, announcing it will release a bimonthly report on the intersection of food trends and social media.

“Data is the key to telling you whether a food or beverage trend on social media indicates it will be here for the long term—and also what consumers think of them,” according to Datassential.

Some of the top trends that surveyed consumers were interested in trying were smashburger tacos, chocolate strawberry cups and scrambled pancakes.

New to Datassential’s #TheIndex is croissant egg tarts, which is “a croissant and Chinese egg tart mash-up (croissant filled with sweet egg custard),” said Datassential. Also on the list is Brazilian lemonade, which is “frozen lemonade blended with sweetened condensed milk and whole limes.”

Cajun onion boil also made the index, which is described as “hollowed-out whole onions stuffed with butter and Cajun seasonings and baked in foil.” Brie butter, which is equal parts brie cheese and butter used as a condiment or spread, also piqued the interest of those surveyed.

Today’s consumers, who eat out regularly and pay attention to social media, are always seeking new tastes and flavor profiles to delight their palate and provide a new experience. Read more about evolving food and beverage taste preferences in the article, “Flavor Forward” from the October 2024 issue of NACS Magazine.