Instagram and TikTok have changed how people think about food. Bloggers and influencers who share recipes and restaurant picks with millions of followers now shape what gets cooked and where people eat.
The sheer volume of food content online does much of the work: photographed dishes, cooking tutorials, recipe ideas. It pushes people to try new recipes and restaurants and quietly shapes their preferences.
Hashtags and challenges do the rest. Tags like #foodporn and #foodie help people share and discover food, and viral challenges like TikTok whipped coffee can make a dish or an ingredient suddenly popular.