For just about every month of 2016, there’s been some kind of crazy novelty food introduction. And while the trends so far haven’t been super hairbrane, they’ve certainly caught our attention. Unlike most years prior, these foods are actually…edible. Nothing fried, nothing coated in a peculiar substance, and nothing that looks like it’s just been culled from dumpster bits. Here are a few of the aforementioned oddballs. We can’t wait to see what 2017 brings! And don’t forget to vote for your favorite below.
Coffe Cones
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A small latte served inside a chocolate-dipped waffle cone. Not sure what took this obvious combination so long to trend. It’s basically a mocha in an edible cup. Recycling at its best.
Colored hamburger buns
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X-Men, Ghostbusters, Gene Wilder and just plain dismal marketing budgets have inspired an array of burger bun colors. Eye-catching? Totally. Appetizing? Not so much.
Banana Milk Coffee
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Blend a ripe banana with some milk, simple syrup and and coffee. Voilà! Fall’s new obsession is born. People are already praising it as the next Pumpkin Spice Latte. Not sure that’s a compliment, but it’s something!
Fairy Bread
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Crustless white bread, butter and a ton of sprinkles. It’s every 6-year old’s dream. This Australian snack has migrated to the U.S. Munchies wrote an entire article on its origin. Did you know in Australia, they refer to sprinkles as “hundreds and thousands?”
Rainbow Colored Everything
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One of every color makes everything seem…happy. Even bagels. Let’s face it. The rainbow trend started because it’s social media clickbait. Tell me you won’t get a ton of “likes” by posting a rainbow-colored food item. It’s impossible.
Savory Yogurt
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Even if you don’t eat it straight out of the packaging (not sure why you would), savory yogurt makes a good dip, sauce and…well, that’s about it. Right?
Ramen Ice Cream
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It’s not ice cream, nor is it ramen. Then WTF is it, you ask? It’s jelly noodles covered in a flavored sauce of your choice (peach, honey, brown sugar). And it sits on a bed of crushed ice covered in evaporated milk and mixed fruit.
Cheese Lattes
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A savory coffee beverage made of milk, honey and yes, cheese. The concept seemingly has grown popular enough in Korea to reach across the Yellow Sea to China, where Starbucks has released it’s own “Lemon Cheese” variant on the idea. We say, one year is good enough for this trend.
Rolled Ice Cream
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Asian sweets took a new turn this year with Thai rolled ice cream. The dessert, which was introduced in the U.S. last year picked up steam, mainly for it’s novelty and Instagramability. The rolls are created by slathering ice cream base on a cold flat surface, and then scraping up the ice cream before it totally freezes and placing it in a cup. It’s like eating bubble gum tape, but way more edible.
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