Year ender 2025: 5 food trends that dominated social media, from kunafa desserts to matcha-based creations

Kunafa: The viral Dubai chocolate became every Indian’s obsession this year, and so it wasn’t a surprise to see kunafa desserts being experimented with by food lovers on social media (Image: Pexels)

The fastest medium to gauge any fashion, beauty, or food trend is social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, where once something goes viral, you know it is going to be followed by many others. With crossover culinary creations being the highlight this year, India witnessed everything from kunafa desserts to matcha-based drinks. This also shows how Indians are fast opening up to global influences and how food culture is constantly evolving.

Food trends that dominated 2025

Here’s a quick roundup of some of the food trends that dominated 2025

Kunafa fixation

The viral Dubai chocolate became every Indian’s obsession this year, and so it wasn’t a surprise to see kunafa desserts being experimented with by food lovers on social media. It also became part of many café menus, with varieties like kunafa cheesecakes, brownies, pastries, and even croissants. These crunchy, delicious desserts were one of the major trends that ruled 2025.

Also read | Malaika Arora experiments with Kunafa French Toast; opens up about her culinary journey

Matcha-based beverages

Matcha, a part of traditional Japanese tea culture, became a major trend not only in India but across the globe. In the modern world of wellness, it assumed a new meaning: that of intentional living. Thanks to Gen Z, who posted some of the most aesthetic pictures of the velvety green drink, it quickly became part of lattes, smoothies, and desserts. What makes matcha drinks even better? Their health benefits, as they’re packed with antioxidants that improve brain function and fight cell damage.

Korean street food

There’s still no stopping everything Korean in India, including its street food. Moving on from ramen and kimchi, the year was about exploring more Korean dishes, including tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), corn dogs, japchae, and fried chicken. These flavourful dishes kept food lovers happily munching and made for great stories and reels.

Also read | Korean cuisine inspired by K-pop and K-drama gains steam in Indian

Gourmet mithai

In a world driven by social media, it was only natural to have upgraded versions of standard Indian mithai in 2025. They are now made with premium nuts, coated with gold, or modernised with new flavours like matcha or dark chocolate. Some are created for health enthusiasts who like their desserts healthy and protein-packed. These also look excellent with their luxury packaging, turning sweet treats into fanciful gifting items.

Cloud coffee

The internet loves a good beverage, and if matcha wasn’t enough, cloud coffee suddenly became the new trend on social media. It combined espresso, coconut water, and creamer or milk to create a frothy, layered, cloud-like appearance. Many fun versions came into play, such as rose cloud latte, blue pea vanilla cloud coffee, caramel cloud cold brew, and more. These made for perfect visuals on Instagram.