Cottage Cheese, WaterTok, And Other 2023 Food Trends That This TikToker Says Are Red Flags That We’re In A Recession
Posted On May 24, 2023
Whether you’re aware of it or not, the economy influences trends in everything — from the movies that get made to the fashions that show up in stores.
Take, for example, the escapist comedies of the 1930s that were made to lighten people’s spirits during the Great Depression, or the current recession core fashion moment on TikTok.
What we eat can also change during economic tough times — whether due to how we’re feeling about our financial prospects or down to what we’re able to afford.
Think: this Great Depression-era chocolate cake recipe or my 2008 Great Recession peanut butter sandwich era.
Well, recently, 50-year-old Nisa Ahmad has been stirring up a lot of conversation on TikTok with a series of videos pointing out how current trends in food are giving off major recession vibes, and I think it’s really fascinating.
FYI, a recession is a lasting period of widespread economic decline, often defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP. According to economists, we’re not officially in a recession (yet). However, with inflation high and interest rates rising, some experts warn that we could see an economic downturn later this year — so, if you’re able to, now might be a good time to prepare your finances.
In a video that’s been viewed 1.4 million times, Nisa shared how as she saw 2020’s decadent charcuterie boards give way to 2022’s butter board trend, she started to ponder what these popular foods said about the economy. “Things started getting a little rough around the butter board, because the butter board was a step down… But we have now stepped down from like a $40 situation to like a solid $4 situation with some accoutrements. It’s not quite giving poverty, but it’s definitely poverty-adjacent.”
However, Nisa realized she had to sound the alarm when she saw that the latest food trend on TikTok is apparently just ice cubes with flowers in them. She said, “When I knew that we were down bad as a people, as a…
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