With so many different cheeses to choose from, shoppers who aren't already deeply ingrained in the vibrant world of fromage might have trouble knowing where to start when perusing the selection at Trader Joe's. Luckily, a professional cheesemonger recently took to TikTok to share tips on picking out the best quality cheeses at Trader Joe's and offer suggestions on some of her favorites.

RELATED: 13 Best Trader Joe's Desserts Of All Time

@athomemonger

Cheese shopping at trader joes! I decided to make a new account just for my cheese content, because i want to share and educate on the vast and wonderful world of cheese. Let me know what you want to see next! #cheese #cheesemonger #traderjoes #traderjoescheese

♬ original sound – Liz | at home cheesemonger

The TikToker, @athomemonger, explained that real cheeses usually only have a few ingredients, like milk, rennet, salt, and enzymes.

"Trader Joe's usually has their pre-cut stuff all at the bottom and that's where you're going to find a lot of the imported stuff with very little ingredients," said the professional cheesemonger, who has worked in the field for a decade, including acting as a buyer and manager for store cheese departments.

Here are all the Trader Joe's cheeses recommended by the cheesemonger and why she likes them:

• Belletoile Triple Crème Brie: While she noted that this option might be "kind of basic," the TikToker said that Belletoile's take on this soft, creamy cheese is great for a simple snack or adding to plates.
• Saint André Triple Crème Brie: Brie lovers can also opt for this "classic" from Saint André, which is "super rich, decadent, creamy," she said.
• Roquefort Societe: Blue cheese is known for being pretty funky in comparison to milder cheese, so it's no surprise that the TikToker warned this French cheese is a "real stinker." She recommended this option for those who want a "sharper" blue cheese.
• Iberico Cheese: Any Trader Joe's shoppers looking for good Manchebo–a nutty, tangy, and slightly sweet cheese made in Spain–should opt for this Iberico Cheese, the cheesemonger said.
• Mini Basque Cheese: If the Iberico Cheese is a little intense for your palate but you still want something like Manchego, this option is "a little bit milder" but still has a similar flavor profile, she said.
• Le Gruyère: Gruyère is a creamy, salty, and nutty cheese that originated in Switzerland. Trader Joe's not only stocks gruyère, but you can tell that the cheese was imported from Switzerland thanks to the AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée) stamp that protects the geographic origin and quality of certain products.
• Comté Cheese: Like with the gruyère, the cheesemonger noted that Trader Joe's Comté Cheese also bears that AOP stamp, so shoppers can tell they're getting an authentic, quality product.
• Beecher's Flagship: The cheesemonger lauded this option as "one of the few domestic cheeses I really love." It is an aged, semi-hard cow's milk cheese that she said was perfect for snacking, grilled cheese, mac and cheese, or just to have around the house.
• Boucheron: Even the cheesemonger was admittedly "pretty surprised" to see that Trader Joe's was stocking this goat cheese, which is soft ripened and mild with an edible rind. If you tend to gravitate toward goat cheese to begin with, she said this was a "great" option.

While cheese lovers can take notes from these cheesemonger recommendations, other Trader Joe's customers also frequently share their own recommendations on the best cheese that the chain has to offer. In March, shoppers raved about the spreadable version of Trader Joe's popular Unexpected Cheddar, a creamy and slightly crumbly cheese that tastes like aged cheddar and parmesan.

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The post 9 Trader Joe's Cheeses You Should Be Buying Right Now, According to a Cheesemonger appeared first on Eat This Not That.

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The Peanut Butter Crunch McFlurry was a chilly treat fan favorite during its testing period, which is certainly encouraging if it means a greater likelihood of a nationwide expansion. Regional California McDonald's restaurants began experimenting with this menu item as far back as January 2023, according to ChewBoom. It garnered some rave reviews, including from Ian K. of Peep This Out! Reviews on YouTube, who described it as "a nice helping" of vanilla soft-serve, chocolate, peanut butter, and cookies.

The YouTuber adds that it gave him "Reese's vibes" and reminded him of a more elevated, peanut butter-flavored Snickerdoodle McFlurry. He adds that it's a "bangin' variant of McFlurries," which sounds pretty delicious to us.

Snack enthusiasts at the @snackolater Instagram account popped in a post about the potential news on June 22. "If the rumors are true," their post caption describes, "this would hit McDonald's in the U.S. in July after the Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry bids us adieu."

Ice cream investigators over at The Krazy Coupon Lady also anticipate that the new Peanut Butter Crunch flavor will only be available for a short time, based on previous McFlurry releases. "This flavor will be on the menu for a month," they claim, adding it could be even shorter if "supplies run out at locations faster than that."

The site compared this potential new release to the Chocolate Pretzel McFlurry of last summer, which was available for a few short months from May to July 2022. 

These McWhispers come shortly after confirmation of another hinted menu item sure to pack some heat. The Cheesy Jalapeño Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese will hit menus on July 10, and while we'll be sad to see the Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry go, a chocolatey, peanut-buttery cookie replacement will certainly keep McD's fans satisfied.

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The post McDonald's Is Rumored to Be Launching a New McFlurry Soon appeared first on Eat This Not That.

This week is a particularly exciting one in the world of fast food, with major chains like Burger King and Taco Bell launching several new, long-awaited items. These include highly-requested favorites that are returning to menus after past limited-time stints, as well as some brand-new or revamped offerings.

Here are the six new and returning items that you can order right now if you're looking to mix it up!

RELATED: 7 Fast-Food Chains That Serve the Best Corn Dogs

After a limited-time debut in May 2022, Shake Shack is encoring a popular burger with a sweet and savory twist. The Bourbon Bacon Jam Burger is made with 100% Angus beef that's topped with crispy onions, cheese, ShackSauce, and a bourbon bacon jam made with Maker's Mark Bourbon. While Shake Shack also featured that special sweet and savory jam on a chicken sandwich during the initial debut last year, only the burger is back on menus right now.

Per ChewBoom, it will only be available for a limited time.

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Taco Bell fans have been pleading for the return of the Volcano Menu ever since it was retired roughly a decade ago, and this week, their wish will be granted. The chain is finally bringing back this popular lineup of spicy items, including the Volcano Burrito, Volcano Taco, and the option to add the beloved Lava Sauce to any item.

The official launch will take place on June 29, though Taco Bell Rewards Members will have early access starting tomorrow, June 27. While the Volcano Menu is only returning for a limited time, this relaunch could be a key opportunity for fans to show the fast-food chain that it deserves to be available year-round.

Taylor Montgomery, Taco Bell's chief marketing officer, encouraged customers to "go buy a lot of it so we can make it permanent."

Wendy's and McDonald's better watch out. There's some new competition in the world of spicy fast-food chicken nuggets thanks to Burger King.

From June 19 through August 17, the chain is selling its new Fiery Nuggets, featuring a spicy glaze made with cayenne peppers, bird's eye chili, and black pepper. To help complement the spicy new menu item, Burger King is also introducing a new limited-time $1 Frozen Fanta Kickin' Mango with flavors of mango, citrus, and a "touch" of spicy chili.

Chester's first introduced its Fried Chicken Sandwich in 2019 at the start of the chicken sandwich wars, but the chain just launched an upgraded version of the menu item late last month. The new and improved item features a marinated and double-breaded whole-breast chicken fillet, crinkle-cut dill pickles, and Chester's bold and tangy signature sauce on Martin's potato roll.

Chester's said that the original chicken sandwich has already become a fan-favorite, with three million sold in 2022. However, this new sandwich is a "juicier, crispier, more flavorful version of the chicken sandwich that made Chester's famous."

If you're the type of person who douses their food in hot sauce on a regular basis, you'll probably want to know about this returning menu item at Qdoba: Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken.

The Mexican-style fast-food chain first introduced this sweet and spicy protein option in August 2020, featuring grilled chicken tossed with a blend of Cholula hot sauce and honey. Now, it's currently back on menus for another limited-time run, according to The Fast Food Post. Customers have the option to add it to any entree or choose from a couple of special menu items that highlight the limited-edition protein, like the Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Nachos or Cholula Hot & Sweet Chicken Bowl.

Chicken parmesan is an undeniably tasty and comforting dish, and Burger King was able to translate those classic flavors into a more casual format when it launched its Italian Royal Crispy Chicken Sandwich last year.

Thanks to a warm reception from customers during that initial launch, the sandwich is now back on menus again for a limited time through August 17. It features a crispy white meat chicken breast fillet topped with marinara and melted mozzarella cheese on a toasted potato bun,

The post 6 New Fast-Food Items You Can Finally Try This Week appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Sure, there are a couple of neat tricks you can use to shop at Costco without shelling out for an annual membership, like getting grocery deliveries through Instacart or buying a Costco gift card that will allow you to spend a set amount of money during a store visit. But if you want to be able to shop at Costco without any major hurdles or limitations, you're going to have to pay up.

RELATED: 6 Items That Costco Shoppers Never Buy at Costco

Costco currently charges $60 for its basic Gold Star membership and $120 for its higher Executive membership. However, analysts and Costco itself expect that to change some time in the future, since key executives at the company have indicated that fee increases are a not only a possibility, but a foregone conclusion.

While no concrete details in Costco's future membership fee plans have been confirmed yet, here's everything we know about those potential fee increases right now.

"A question of when, not if"

Just because Costco hasn't raised membership fees yet in 2023 doesn't mean it won't. In fact, Costco has been hinting since 2022 that another membership fee hike is in the cards.

In December last year, Costco CFO Richard Galanti told investors that fee increases are "a question of when, not if," adding that "I'll be purposefully coy on when that might be." The following month, CEO Craig Jelinek revealed during Costco's annual shareholder meeting that the company was still holding off on upping those membership dues.

"In our opinion, right now is not the right time to do it. That's not to say that at some point we won't, but at the moment we have no plans to take up the fee," he said.

Most recently in a May earnings call, Galanti revealed that the day where Costco's membership fees would once again go up still hadn't dawned.

"And at some point, we will [raise fees], but our view right now is that we've got enough levers out there to drive business, and we feel that it's incumbent upon us to be that beacon of light to our members in terms of holding [fees] for right now," he said.

So while membership fees are staying put for the time being, members should prepare themselves for that to change in the future.

A brief history of Costco's fee increases

Historically, Costco has raised its membership fees about every five years and seven months. The most recent of these increases took effect in June 2017, so Costco would technically be overdue for another fee increase if it wanted to stick by that pattern.

UBS analyst Michael Lasser predicted in March that Costco would announce its next fee boost in spring 2023 and then implement it in the summer, a forecast that evidently did not come to fruition. If Costco was planning to announce a fee hike while reporting quarterly earnings results, as it did in 2017, customers would still have a few months to wait before knowing for sure since the company's next quarterly earnings call is scheduled for late September.

When contacted for this story, Costco declined to offer any more insight on the potential timeline for membership fee hikes and how much fees may increase by. Galanti, on the other hand, promised during that May earnings call to keep the public informed: "We'll let you know as soon as we know."

Prior fee increases have followed a pattern

Though Costco is staying mum on how much fees will increase, members can make an educated guess by looking at the company's previous price hikes. When fees went up in 2017, the cost of the basic Gold Star membership went from $55 to $60 and the cost of the higher Executive membership went from $110 to $120.

The previous fee increase in 2011 was very similar, with the Gold Star membership increasing from $50 to $55 and the Executive Membership increasing from $100 to $110, according to the Los Angeles Times. If Costco follows the same pattern as those two most recent price increases, members can reasonably assume that the Gold Star membership will increase by $5 to $65 and the Executive Membership will increase by $10 to $130.

But while all the most important details of this highly-anticipated change remain unknown, Costco's roughly 125 million cardlholders should relish in the current state of their membership dues for the time being.

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The post Everything We Know About Costco's Potential Membership Fee Increases appeared first on Eat This Not That.

The burger giant has been seeing some signs of improvement in its financial situation this year, likely due to its sweeping $400 million investment campaign aimed at improving its brand and restaurants. The chain beat analyst estimates with a 12.3% increase in global same-store sales and an 8.7% increase in same-store sales in the United States in the first quarter of 2023. However, Burger King still has a ways to go if it wants to gain traction in the burger wars again and become more competitive with major rivals like McDonald's and Wendy's. There are a couple of reasons behind Burger King's continuing struggles, but the biggest one of all might be its ongoing woes with the health and profitability of its franchisees.

RELATED: The #1 Burger To Order at Every Major Dine-In Chain, According to Chefs

Two major Burger King operators–TOMS King Holdings and Meridian Restaurants Unlimited—filed for bankruptcy in the first quarter of 2023 due to declines in foot traffic and revenue. Burger King has also shuttered dozens of restaurants since the start of the year, including 27 of Meridian's locations and 26 restaurants from another operator that Burger King sued over its alleged failure to pay required royalties, ad fund payments, and other charges.

In good news, Burger King has plans to improve the health of franchisees that coincidentally include the closures of even more restaurants. The company expects to shutter as many as 400 restaurants this year, most of which will be "low volume" units, in order to "improve the overall health of the system," Josh Kobza, CEO of the chain's parent company Restaurant Brands International, revealed during a May earnings call. On top of purging some struggling restaurants, Burger King is also trying to work with other franchisees to drive better results and encourage those that can't meet brand standards to sell their locations to better-performing operators.

"I do expect a bit more short-term noise as we transition some portfolios into the hands of top local operators, but think we are moving in the right direction to improve our foundation for the long-term," he said.

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The other reason that Burger King is still struggling comes down to traffic. Kobza revealed during that May earnings call that traffic for the first quarter of 2023 was "modestly negative." Still, the company found it encouraging that traffic wasn't quite as negative in the first quarter as it was in the fourth quarter of 2022. Kobza said that RBI is focused on growing traffic throughout the rest of 2023 through good advertising and focusing on improving operations, which can lead to better customer experiences. Only time will tell if Burger King can meet these ambitious goals, but the chain is betting on itself.

"We're feeling increasingly positive about the case path forward this year and into the future," Kobza said.

The post Burger King Is Still a Struggling Chain—Here's Why appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Numerous Costco members have taken to Reddit over the last couple of weeks to share stories about recent Costco trips defined by these types of stressful encounters with employees. One Redditor shared that an employee recently confronted her mother-in-law at the self-checkout line and demanded to see a membership card, even though she was only tagging along as a guest and didn't plan to buy anything. Per Costco policy, members are allowed to bring their children and up to two guests into warehouses as long as only actual members purchase items.

RELATED: A Politician's $800 Costco Receipt Has Set the Internet Ablaze–Here's Why

Nevertheless, the Costco member who brought her mother-in-law said that she had to get through an intense round of "questioning" before she was even allowed to buy her groceries.

Accused of card sharing..
by u/hummingbird_18 in Costco

"I was so frazzled by the entire encounter and accusation that I could barely check myself out appropriately, but I got ahold of myself and got out of there," she wrote. "If you're really serious about cracking down on people figure out a better system because falsely accusing people and policing at a checkout line in a grocery store (that we pay for yearly) is just not it."

This post has racked up 1,800 comments so far, many from fellow Costco members who shared similar stories and vented their frustrations about being treated like a "criminal" while simply trying to buy groceries.

"Not as bad as your experience, but I was grilled at self-checkout yesterday. They wanted to see front and back of my card then asked me to verbally say my name to confirm it matched. It was such an awkward experience and I felt like the employee was digging to find anything wrong while other customers walked right on by," a Redditor responded.

In another Reddit post that has sparked significant discussion, a customer wrote that a Costco employee accused her of using someone else's card and refused to believe her identity even after presenting both her card and driver's license. The customer noted that she had made a couple of minor changes to her appearance since getting her membership photo taken, like dying her hair and growing it longer, but said the changes weren't drastic enough to make her unrecognizable.

"This happened to me recently," another member responded to the post. "I've grown my hair out and have a beard that I didn't have when I had my picture taken. The Costco self-checkout membership checker gave me a harder time than any customs official on my recent trip out of the country."

When contacted for comment on the member complaints, Costco shared the following statement: "Costco is able to keep our prices as low as possible because our membership fees help offset our operational expenses, making our membership fee and structure important to us. Costco's membership policy has not changed. We have always asked for membership cards at our registers at time of checkout."

"Our membership policy states that our membership cards are not transferable and since expanding our self-service checkout, we've noticed that non-member shoppers have been using membership cards that do not belong to them," the statement added. "We don't feel it's right that non members receive the same benefits and pricing as our members. As we already ask for the membership card at checkout, we are now asking to see their membership card with their photo at our self-service checkout registers."

Though Costco seems to have intensified its crackdown against suspected fraud at self-checkout lines in recent weeks, strict membership enforcement methods are nothing new at the chain. Prior to the recent spate of complaints, consumers had also reported being escorted out of warehouses or having accounts flagged for fraud after trying to purchase items using their parent's cards.

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The post Costco Customers Are Outraged Over the Chain's Harsh Membership Policy appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Stefani Lord, a Republican who serves in New Mexico's House of Representatives, set off this fierce debate when she posted a picture on Twitter earlier this week of a receipt for $799.38 that she said came from Costco. And in the tweet where she posted the picture, the lawmaker seemingly blamed President Joe Biden–who has been no stranger to criticism over rising inflation during his administration–for her high grocery bill.

RELATED: 6 Items That Costco Shoppers Never Buy at Costco

"Thanks, Joe Biden! $799.38 for ONE full cart at Costco with 58 items and only 9 non-food items like paper towels, plastic bags, trash bags, and razors," Lord tweeted.

Thanks, Joe Biden!
$799.38 for ONE full cart at Costco with 58 items and only 9 non-food items like paper towels, plastic bags, trash bags, and razors. pic.twitter.com/wbNWojGiDz

— Rep Stefani Lord (@Lord4NM) June 20, 2023

There's no arguing against the fact that grocery bills typically cost much more nowadays than they did a couple of years ago. Food at home prices were 5.8% higher in May 2023 than they were in May 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But while Lord received some sympathy for her nearly $800 grocery bill from some Twitter users, others weren't as ready to accept her arguments that Biden was at fault. Many have pointed out that Lord's receipt picture showed her total, but not the actual items that she purchased. This spurred some Twitter users to speculate that she bought some especially expensive products that hiked up the cost of her overall shopping trip.

"Notice how she won't show the whole receipt. Y'all know Costco sells wagyu and king crab there too," one Twitter user wrote.

Others noted that even if Lord didn't grab anything that was very expensive by itself, $800 may not be an unreasonable price for a full cart since Costco sells bulk-sized groceries that can last for some time. For context, $800 divided by 58 would come out to about $13.79 per item.

"$800 for a packed Costco cart has always been the typical cost—not inflation. Stefani Lord won't even show the 58 items," a Twitter user commented.

Some social media users even went so far as to question whether the receipt actually came from Costco, but Lord dismissed those suspicions in a follow-up tweet.

I'm laughing at how #triggered the #progressive left-wingers are about my Costco receipt. "sHoW tHe rEcEiPt oR iTs fAkE!" Nope, it's real, and all 58 items are food but 9 small purchase items like paper towels, razors, etc. No alcohol, no tires, no electronics, no big…

— Rep Stefani Lord (@Lord4NM) June 21, 2023

"I'm laughing at how #triggered the #progressive left-wingers are about my Costco receipt. 'sHoW tHe rEcEiPt oR iTs fAkE!' Nope, it's real, and all 58 items are food but 9 small purchase items like paper towels, razors, etc. No alcohol, no tires, no electronics, no big purchases, no steaks, no junk food, no sugary foods, no vitamins, no cosmetics, no medicine, and no soda. Lots of frozen broccoli, if you must know, and two packs of chicken thighs," she wrote.

As of today, June 22, Lord hasn't shared a full breakdown of all the items she purchased during this ill-fated Costco trip. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the debate set off by her tweet.

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The post A Politician's $800 Costco Receipt Has Set the Internet Ablaze–Here's Why appeared first on Eat This Not That.

The casual steakhouse, which is under the umbrella of parent company Darden Restaurants, topped analyst estimates with a sizable 7.1% increase in same-store sales in the most recent quarter that ended on May 28. This is even higher than Darden's overall 4% increase in same-store sales, as well as the 4.4% increase reported for fellow Darden brand Olive Garden.

RELATED: 9 Steakhouse Chains Where the Sides Are Better Than the Steaks

The reason behind Longhorn's particularly successful quarter? During a June 22 earnings call, Darden's president and CEO Rick Cardenas said that there wasn't one "silver bullet," or a sole reason that could explain LongHorn's performance. Still, he offered up several potential factors that may have come into play.

For starters, he conceded that some price increases helped drive those strong sales for the quarter. This is far from uncommon in the restaurant industry, where many companies have been upping menu prices in order to offset elevated costs for food, labor, and other commodities. In March this year, Darden CFO Raj Vennam estimated that the company's total price increases for its 2023 fiscal year would fall around 6% of 6.5%, according to Restaurant Dive.

However, these price increases don't seem to be the whole story behind LongHorn's recent surge in sales. Cardenas said that guest traffic has also been "positive" at the chain, with one major highlight from the latest quarter being when the brand broke its weekly sales record during the week of Mother's Day. Additionally, Cardenas touted the performance of LongHorn Steakhouse's president Todd Burrowes, noting that Burrowes and his team have been on a "journey" to promote quality, simplicity, and culture at the chain.

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"LongHorn has been executing well for the last few years and I want to commend Todd and his team," he said.

Great execution at any restaurant, whether regarding the quality of service or the actual food, can lead to happier guests who may be more motivated to come back again in the future. Earlier in the call, Cardenas noted that "internal guest satisfaction metrics remain at or near all-time highs across our brands."

"There aren't silver bullets here. It's about having great execution, investing in your team, investing in your product to drive profitable, same-restaurant sales growth, and that's what they've been doing," he said in reference to LongHorn's leadership.

While LongHorn outshined other Darden brands in the most recent quarter, it will be measured against another popular steakhouse chain moving forward, Ruth's Chris Steak House, which Darden just acquired earlier this month.

The post Longhorn Steakhouse Is Skyrocketing in Popularity—Here's Why appeared first on Eat This Not That.

This year, a new group of recipes infiltrated the social media platform, racking up copious views, likes, and comments. These trends span across multiple categories, including snacks, desserts, and beverages.

Although we're only halfway through 2023, the year has been filled with several captivating recipes that have generated significant buzz. Here are seven of the biggest viral food trends that have hit the internet so far this year.

RELATED: "Lazy" Trader Joe's Meals Are Going Viral for Being Low Effort & Delicious

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Yogurt Clusters

@kalejunkie

This is the snack of the summer! Chocolate covered strawberry yogurt clusters! #healthyrecipes #greekyogurt #easyrecipes #strawberries

♬ Pretty Girl Era – LU KALA

These chocolate-covered strawberry yogurt clusters are the latest sweet treat to take over TikTok. In April, cookbook author and KaleJunkie founder Nicole Keshishian Modic shared her recipe for the snack, which has since blown up on social media. The hashtag #strawberryyogurtclusters currently has 11.2 million views on TikTok.

In her video, Modic chopped up some strawberries, coated them in yogurt, and popped them in the freezer. She then covered the clusters in a mixture of melted chocolate and coconut oil, put them back into the freezer, and sprinkled them with some flaky salt after they hardened. Modic said, "I think that balances out the sweet, but as always, you do you."

And it looks like people have been doing just that. Social media users have put their own spins on the fruity clusters by adding honey to the yogurt and using different types of chocolate, such as white and dark.

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Fruit Roll-Up Ice Cream

@golisdream

#sweetdreams #fruitrollups #icecream

♬ original sound – Goli

This frozen treat captured people's attention not only because of the unique ingredient combination but also because of the attention-grabbing sound it produces upon biting into it. Back in February, TikTok user Golnar Ghavami, whose TikTok username is @golisdream, posted a video of herself making and eating ice cream wrapped in a Fruit Roll-Up. Within seconds, the ice cream froze the Fruit Roll-Up, giving it a satisfying, potato chip-like crunch that had viewers raising their eyebrows.

Ghavami's video now has 14.5 million views, while the TikTok hashtag #fruitrollupandicecream has amassed 146.5 million views. Over the last few months, social media users have hopped on the viral food trend by creating their own versions of it with different flavors of ice cream and Fruit Roll-Ups.

Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

@lainiecooks

Strawberry cheesecake ice cream ..im obsessed #cottagecheeseicecream #cottagecheeserecipe #highproteindessert

♬ Caalm Dooown – EL Locco

Also trending in the ice cream world is the viral cottage cheese ice cream. The better-for-you, protein-packed frozen dessert gained heightened attention after content creator Lainie Kates—also known as @lainiecooks—shared her recipe for strawberry cheesecake cottage cheese ice cream. This flavor only calls for four ingredients: cottage cheese, a sweetener such as maple syrup, strawberries, and crushed graham crackers.

Since Kates' video went viral, social media users have replicated the recipe and created their own versions by adding various sweeteners and mix-ins to cottage cheese and then freezing it. At 32.3 million TikTok views, the hashtag #cottagecheeseicecream covers a range of flavors, such as birthday cake, banana cream pie, and cookies and cream.

Flavored Water

@takingmylifebackat42

WATER OF THE DAY USE TONYA42 to save $$ #water #drink #recipe #pinacolada #weightloss #flavoredwater #weightlosscheck #goals #motivation #vsg #wls #drinkwater #easyrecipe #yummy #fy @Simple Modern

♬ Forever – Labrinth

While flavored water is nothing new, the concept exploded on TikTok after Tonya Spanglo, whose username is @takingmylifebackat42, went viral for sharing her "water recipes." From piña colada water to salted caramel apple water, Spanglo has shared numerous water concoctions that feature water flavored with different syrups and powdered drink mixes. The content creator told Vox that making these beverages helped her reach her daily water goal and break her soda drinking habit after undergoing gastric sleeve surgery.

Among the social media users on what is known as "WaterTok," many have said these drinks have helped them drink more water, lose weight, or stop drinking soda. However, the trend has not gone without controversy. While some have expressed concerns about the ingredients found in drink flavorings, others have called the trend a diet culture fad, as these dessert-flavored waters are made with powders and syrups that are often sugar-free and zero-calorie.

Lemon Popcorn

@leels_

another episode of: cooking but not actually cooking with leah #snack #lemonpopcorn #popcorn #lemon #snackobsession #snacks #voice #story #newsnack #storytime #latenightsnack #seasalt #makeup #contour #contouring #cooltone #cooltonemakeup #cooltones #greenscreen #stitch #duet #boston #bostontiktok

♬ original sound – le

Lemon popcorn recently got people talking after TikTok user @leels_ shared a video of herself making the simple recipe, which she called a "new obsession snack." The poster combined lemon zest and sea salt in a small bowl before adding it to a larger bowl of freshly popped microwave popcorn. She then topped it off with fresh lemon juice, mixed the ingredients together, and delighted over her creation. Her video now has 21.3 million views while #lemonpoporn has received 23.8 million views.

Within the post's comments section, TikTok users offered suggestions on how to enhance the snack, such as adding hot sauce, tajin, or parmesan cheese. Another TikToker recommended using air-popped popcorn and drizzling with with a combination of lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic salt, and melted butter.

Smashburger Tacos

@chilesandsmoke

Smashburger Tacos are hitting the streets. Grab some tortillas and let's GO! I've been working on this process for a bit and realized that smashing the meat with the flour tortilla directly on the griddle is very effective, and saves a few steps of preparation. The full walkthrough is in my bio. These cook quickly, and with a tortilla instead of the buns you can crush more meat + toppings. #smashburgertacos #smashburgers #streettacos

♬ original sound – chilesandsmoke

Why choose between burgers and tacos when you can bring them together in one bite? In a viral video that currently has 3.8 million views, Phoenix-based chef Brad Prose—aka @chilesandsmoke—shared his recipe for the food mashup.

To make his smashburger tacos, Brose put seasoned ground beef patties onto a hot griddle and placed a tortilla on top of each one before pressing them down with a burger press. Once the meat was cooked, he flipped the tortilla-topped burgers over, added cheese, and loaded on other burger toppings like pickles, shredded lettuce, and sauce. "These are amazing," he said.

Upside Down Pastries

@lilyghodrati

Caramelised Honey & Nectarine pastries #honey #nectarine #pastry #pastries #patisserie #puffpastry #caramelised #bake #baking #sweet #snack #foodhack #EasyRecipe #Recipe #eats #food #FoodTok #Foodie #fy #fyp #foryou #foryoupage

♬ Sleep Walk – Santo and Johnny

Whether you prefer your pastries sweet or savory, TikTok's recent puff pastry hack is sure to satisfy. Simply place any kind of filling onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cover the filling with a square of puff pastry, press the edges down, paint it with egg wash, and bake until golden brown. The final product will look like a normal pastry once you flip it over.

As recipes continue to circulate on social media, the hashtag#upsidedownpastry has racked up 53.2 million TikTok views. Pastry fillings range from caramelized honey and nectarines to caramelized shallots, ham, and gruyere cheese—though the possibilities are endless.

The post 7 Biggest Viral Food Trends of 2023—So Far appeared first on Eat This Not That.

Water sommelier Martin Riese, who tastes and judges water as if it were wine, tipped off fellow shoppers in a TikTok video this week that Costco is now carrying the sparkling version of that special water from Socosani. In the video, which has received a whopping 722,000 views, Riese explained that he considers Socosani to be "one of the most fascinating sparkling waters right now," partially because of the high levels of minerals and electrolytes found in the beverage.

RELATED: 6 Items That Costco Shoppers Never Buy at Costco

The mouthfeel of this water sets it apart from the agua you'll find from more basic water brands, according to Riese. He said that it boasts a high silica content, a mineral that makes water "very very smooth on the palate." Riese noted that silica is also what gives that soft, pleasing mouthfeel to the artesian water brand Fiji. As an extra bonus, Socosani boasts a lower sodium content in comparison to other mineral waters, according to Riese.

@martinrieseofficial

Super excited to find a new sparkling water at Costco #watersommelier #martinriese #h2o #water #costco #socosani #sparkling #sparklingwater #peru #bubbles #mineralwater #tds #fyp #foryou #fy #foryoupage

♬ original sound – Martin Riese

Costco's deal for Socosani water is nothing to balk at either. Twelve-packs were going for $11.97 apiece at the warehouse Riese visited—that's roughly one-third of the $36.99 that similar-sized cases cost online.

"So when you're at Costco right now and you're looking for an interesting sparkling water, I highly recommend to get Socosani, one of my favorite waters on this planet," he said.

Riese did not specify the exact warehouse where he found the Socosani water, but the video was tagged as being in Los Angeles County. Source to Bottle, a company that sells Socosani water, confirmed that the drinks are currently available in two dozen Costco warehouses across the L.A. area, including in Culver City, Burbank, and Irvine.

Wherever the water sommelier spotted the Socosani water, there's a chance that it may not be stocked in that warehouse on a permanent basis. One TikToker who claimed to be a Costco employee warned in the comments section that whenever a product has a price ending in .97, that means Costco doesn't plan to restock the item again for the time being. So any water enthusiasts who want to pick up a case of Socosani should check with their local warehouse first to confirm that it's available.

Consumers can also find Socosani water on Amazon and at Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide.

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The post Costco Is Now Carrying a Top-Quality Beverage—But It Won't Be There for Long appeared first on Eat This Not That.