Food Trends, Worth It?

Author: Fiorella Robinson

The past decade or so has introduced a wide variety of food trends. These innovations are identified by vibrant colors and extravagant portions -- additionally complemented by an extravagant price tag to match. Why are such food trends appealing? Are they worth buying? I wanted to take these questions to the UChicago community by asking about monster shakes and pink food items.

When someone mentions Monster Shakes, an image of a massive cup adorned with abundant candies and sweets should immediately pop into your mind. For me, it’s a vanilla shake with a giant cookie, a marshmallow, and coated with a vibrant colored cereal. For anyone in the Chicago area, Jojo’s Shake Bar comes to mind. I decided to approach my friend, “Person 1”, for their opinion as they expressed an interest in going to this Instagram-worthy shake shop.

Fiorella: “Are the $15 shake’s really that appetizing to you?

Person 1: “I’m not really looking much at the price point; it is more just the aesthetic appeal for these types of things.”

Fiorella: “Don’t you think it is a waste of food? Like one person alone can’t possibly finish this, and I think that that many sweets are too overbearing.”

Person 1: “Yeah, you have a point there. But I also think that when I buy shakes like these, I am splitting it with a friend.”

Fiorella: “Wouldn’t it be a better idea to make shakes like these smaller?”

Person 1: “Again, you have a point. I think besides a social media post and short excitement from looking at a shake as beautiful as the ones they serve at Jojo’s, it is not worth a buy again.”

I, myself, have tried these shakes. While I definitely posted a photo of the monstrous shakes on Instagram, I cannot find myself purchasing or craving it again. One is instantly plagued by stomach aches not even halfway through the shake due to its excessive sugar content. I find myself wasting my money by throwing away the entire shake due to being unable to save it in its freshest and best form simply refrigerating it.

Therefore, the verdict is -- not worth it.

Pink food items are foods that have been dyed to make ordinary meals into unique experiences. One such food item I want to talk about from my experience is the tacos from Pink Taco. After all, the tacos are what the restaurant is known for and imply that it is a must-have order. While I enjoy the tacos and the vibrant pink color they come from, I can’t say I enjoy the $17 price point. Would I buy it again? Of course, I would. I do not believe that the pinkness of the tacos has anything to do with the flavor, but Pink Taco executes its menu item excellently by making sure that it has the best tasting ingredients. It also helps that the tacos are shareable and very much social media-worthy. If these tacos were regular colored, would I buy them? Maybe -- but the pink color adds to the experience of it all.