If you’re familiar with TikTok, you know it can be the source of wild ideas. If you can dream it up, it’s on TikTok; on the other hand, if it’s in your nightmares, it’s also probably on TikTok. Somewhere between the outlandish and comical are a few ingenious ideas. Food and anything related to food is no exception, and TikTok has trending recipes as well. Are you feeling adventurous? Check out these gastronomical fads, from the strange to the scrumptious.
Spam Chips
You read that correctly: Spam chips, as in canned meat products made into crisps. Love it or hate it, Spam has a cult following thanks to Monty Python, is wildly popular in Hawaii, and even boasts its own museum in Minnesota. Why not not make it into a salty, dried, crispy snack? There are different variations of this recipe, including Spam fries, but most call for thinly slicing and deep frying the Spam slices until dark brown and crispy. Enjoy!
The Parmesan Espresso Martini
While it may sound like an odd flavor combination, this martini is salty and sweet. It’s probably no more strange than salted caramel. The recipe calls for 1 shot of freshly brewed espresso, 2 oz. of vodka, 1 oz. of coffee liquor, and 2 tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese. To make the martini, combine all the ingredients, except for the cheese, into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake generously. Strain out the ice into a martini glass and top it with the cheese. Cheers!
Cowboy Candy
Cowboy candy is canned candied jalapeños. It’s not that new, having been around since at least 1922, and it combines heat with sweet flavors. They make perfect toppings for burgers. Here’s the recipe for these beauties:
- 3 lbs. of ripe, fresh jalapenos
- 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
- 6 cups of granulated white sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoons of turmeric
- 1⁄2 teaspoons of celery seed
- 3 teaspoons of minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper
Wearing gloves, destem and slice the jalapenos. In a stock pot, bring the vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno slices and simmer for about 5 minutes. Fill sterilized canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Place lids on the jars, place them in water, and bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Leave jars undisturbed for 24 hours to seal.
Pickles In A Blanket
There are various recipes for this, and it seems to stem from deep-fried pickles. The most popular one uses pre-made crescent rolls from a can. Using pickle spears, you simply roll up a pickle in a crescent roll and bake using the crescent roll’s instructions. You can doctor this up by adding bacon, cheddar cheese, and ranch dipping sauce.
Lemon Sprite Iced Tea
This seems to be a refreshing, sparkling twist on Arnold Palmer. The best part is that this recipe is delightfully simple. You get a 2-liter bottle of Sprite and place two black tea bags in it. Place the cap back on and wait for an hour or two. Pour into a glass-filled ice, spritz with a lemon, and enjoy!
Fruit Roll-Up Ice Cream
Here’s another one that’s not a recipe but a hack. Lay out a fruit roll-up so it’s flat. Drop a scoop of ice cream in the middle of the fruity square, then fold the roll-up in half, enclosing the ice cream. Crimp the edges to contain the ice cream. This apparently makes the roll-up crunchy, but it sounds like an excellent way to make a mess; however, the creamy ice cream and fruity covering may be fun.
Green Onion Coffee
While green onions are healthy and coffee can wake you up, combining the two will certainly raise an eyebrow. To each their own, though, so if you want that morning buzz with a side of veggies, slice up 3 or 4 spring onions and place them in a serving glass. Add ice cubes, followed by your milk of choice, and then add freshly brewed double espresso on top and stir.
Wrapping Up
While new recipes are constantly being discovered, they may not be for everyone. It’s essential to keep an open mind, though. Sometimes flavor combinations sound odd, but they can be pretty delicious when you try them. What may be unpalatable to you may be ambrosia to someone else.
