Whenever I scroll through TikTok, I learn something new about beauty, fashion, and most of all...cooking. This year was especially big for food lovers on TikTok following the popularity of recipe videos on the app in 2020. But rather than the pancake cereal or dalgona coffee of 2020, 2021 was filled with food trends that were practical and fit for all tastes, whether you prefer decadent breakfasts or easy dinners.

Some of the earliest food trends of the year include Feta Pasta and the tortilla hack, both of which became huge around March. Feta pasta involved using a block of feta, tomatoes, and other herbs and spices in a baking dish before mixing it all in with the pasta of your choice for a delightfully creamy final product. The tortilla hack showed how to fold a tortilla wrap to make it easy to warm up in the toaster.

Nature's cereal was another March trend that involved using fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranate seeds, and ice cubes in a bowl filled with coconut water to be eaten by the spoonful like cereal. It was so popular even Lizzo vouched for it on her own TikTok account.

Breakfast was a big theme when it came to this year's trends, and when you weren't seeing creators starting their day with Nature's Cereal, you likely watched video after video of TikTok users making intricate baked oats in the oven or pesto eggs for a flavorful base to their morning meals. Condiments and toppings were also huge on the app, with spicy pickled garlic, pickled red onions, and the sriracha mayo combo on top of Emily Mariko's famous rice bowl becoming an overnight obsession.

Besides the recipes themselves, there some other food-adjacent TikTok trends like Emily Mariko, the influencer who popularized salmon rice bowls, farmer's market food prep, and sweetly smiling down at your plate of food after your first bite. Hacks for eliminating the taste of alcohol in your mixed drinks also made their way around For You Pages everywhere. Videos showing the inner workings of the Olympic cafeterias and the food options available for athletes also made their rounds online during the Tokyo games that took place this summer.

All in all, it was a huge year for food on TikTok. As for what's in store for 2022 only time—and our algorithms—will tell.