Portion control isn't a concept that really registers with us, which is why we can't quite wrap our heads around the Japanese trend of kawaii cooking—the art of making tiny, or "cute," food, just in case you need to be brought up to speed. If we're already thinking about whether we want a (regular-sized) chocolate-glazed donut or strawberry-glazed donut next before we're done with our (also regular-sized) Boston crème, what possible appeal could there be in cutting our donuts down to a Barbie-sized fraction of their former selves?
The answer is a lot, if we're judging it by the fan base that kawaii cooking has racked up in Japan and beyond since its online debut.
It's a been a few years now since the first kawaii cooking videos hit the internet, which have featured YouTube users like AkameruKawaii, Pocket Resort, and Miniature Spaces wowing web audiences with their mastery of miniature cutlery, tiny pots, and tea-light powered "stoves" in the preparation of itsy-bitsy eats.
Like these aforementioned tiny donuts.
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Or these mini burgers, for example.
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Or this steak and asparagus dish that makes us tempted to answer the question of "how do you like your steak?" with "BIG, please!" from now on, just in case.
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Each of the mini meals is topped off with mini garnishes before being served on mini plates, which are placed on mini tables in what looks like the kitchen or dining room of a mini house. But since it's pretty obvious that none of the dishes that are whipped up in these videos are going to satisfy anybody's hunger, why in the world are we so fascinated with watching them being made?
It turns out that aside from the pretty apparent cute factor that makes the dainty food hard to resist (at least visually), there might also be a deeper psychological reason that the kawaii trend has succeeded in making smaller-than-bite-sized donuts seem more enchanting than flat-out blasphemous.
As miniature retailer Mo Tipton put it in an interview with Hopes&Fears, these videos capture "a level of control we can never really attain in 'real life.'" Control, and perfection, since the "chefs" behind the videos work with a stunning precision that allow them to perfect their creations to a tee.
For viewers, watching that process unfold can give off the same calming sensation of having a solid handle on things. In that sense, kawaii becomes a kind of escape from the chaos and unpredictability of the real (and, yes, regular-sized) world.
This means that next time you're feeling even slightly overwhelmed, it might be a good idea to watch a video of someone baking a miniature cake to perk you up or calm you down. But go ahead and watch it while eating an actual piece of cake, because that's always a safe way to kiss your troubles goodbye, too.
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