Just like in fashion, what was out always comes back around in the culinary world.
We love finding ways to use retro food in modern recipes — and these are just a few
of our favorite old-school ingredients that are making a comeback.
If there's one tinned food that's iconically vintage it's got to be Spam.
But far from being relegated to the back of a dusty cupboard, Spam's been making a spectacular comeback.
"Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, baked beans, Spam, Spam, Spam, and Spam."
Fans might argue that it never went away.
But what's clear is that Spam in a can is having a moment.
Prepare to be surprised by Spam's culinary glow-up.
Since hitting the shelves in 1937, Spam is more popular than ever.
Chefs are creating new Spam concoctions, often adding it to Asian dishes.
The salty taste adds an umami zing, making it perfect for rice dishes.
Try kimchi fried rice with Spam for extra tang from the fermented cabbage.
Spam is widely used in Korea, but these days even U.S. foodies are eager to give it a second chance.
Consider trying a Hawaiian-style Spam musubi recipe combining the meat with white rice,
a teriyaki glaze, and nori.
Or, use it to make a one-of-a-kind poke bowl.
It's the small things in life that make us feel connected.
Like scraping out a near-empty jar of Nutella and eating it straight from the spoon.
The ultimate chocolate and hazelnut spread has been around for more than half a century.
However, while it first appeared in stores in the U.S. in the '80s, it's really garnered
an upsurge in fans in recent times.
The recent passion for Nutella in the U.S. is, in part, thanks to TikTok.
In 2022, the popularity of butter boards — remember those?
— extended to Nutella boards.
Imagine a board spread thick with Nutella and topped with sliced fruit, pretzels, candy,
and marshmallows.
Not just a condiment to spread on bread and toast, Nutella can be added to cakes and pastries.
Try a Nutella cupcake or a Nutella cookie.
From frosting to fillings there are so many sweet somethings you can create with this
nutty, chocolatey spread.
Reach into the back of your cupboard and grab that can of mackerel filets that's been gathering dust.
Today, tinned fish is not only having a comeback – it's become downright trendy.
"When you think of seafood in a can, you think sardines, but there are a lot of other tinned
fish in the sea."
In the past, most tinned fish fans were of a certain age.
But all of a sudden, hipster joints have tinned fish sections on their menu and TikTok is
flooded with hashtag tinned fish.
In fact, U.S. canned fish sales went up by 9.7% in 2022, or about $2.7 billion.
That's a ton of tins.
Among the countless interesting ways you can serve it, you'll want to try making shared
boards, or "seacuterie."
Many tinned fish brands really stand out with their cool retro designs that look totes at
home in a hipster bistro.
Oily fish is a great ingredient to add to pizzas and frittatas.
Or think outside the burger box and try making a salmon patty with tinned salmon, mayo, egg,
and panko.
Or what about pan-fried tuna burgers?
Sounds fancy and delicious and cool.
Cottage cheese has long been thought of as diet food.
With its distinct taste and texture, it's a love-it-or-hate-it item.
Some say it's watery and tasteless whereas others find it light and creamy.
Cottage cheese has been around since before the bell-bottom era, but it fell out of favor
for a while.
But cottage cheese is back, baby.
"Dennis, what is this enticing bowl of white?"
"This?
Charlie, that's cottage cheese."
"Cottage cheese.
Like cheese from some cottage?"
Dairy companies are marketing the stuff to a hip new demographic and modern recipes are
embracing this versatile ingredient.
For example, you can use it to make a creamy dip, add it to smoothies, or combine it with
mashed potatoes.
You can add spices to make a spread or pair it with fruit and honey on crackers.
You could substitute it for feta in a spinach pie with puff pastry.
Or throw it in the blender with oil, garlic, and herbs to make a decadent creamy salad dressing.
You can add cottage cheese to scrambled eggs, or simply spread it on toast with chopped
cucumbers and dill as garnish.
You could even turn it into a cheesecake-style dessert, add it to pancake batter, or use
it to make pasta sauce.
The only limit is your imagination.
At over a century old, Velveeta seems positively ancient.
This processed cheese has long been viewed as an old-fashioned ingredient.
Certainly not one that resonated with foodies of any age.
When the pandemic began and lockdowns followed, Velveeta made a major comeback.
Sales increased by a whopping 24% in 2020.
Perhaps people needed it for all the comfort food they were cooking at home.
Recognizing a new opportunity, the company cleverly marketed the cheese in fun ways,
including an ad featuring a martini with a Velveeta rim and cheesy pasta shell garnish.
"It's called a Veltini, which means – if you take the words "Velveeta" and "martini"
and combine them, that's what you get."
If that doesn't appeal, then what about a meaty queso dip made with chorizo to serve
with tortilla chips?
The shelf-stable ingredient can even be used in the filling for old-school apple pies.
If you're not keen about including it in your desserts, try a loaded potato soup made with
bacon, broth, and heavy cream, along with potatoes and Velveeta, of course.
What's great about this cheesy revival is that when you make a dish for your next dinner
party using this nostalgic ingredient, everyone will think you're right on trend rather than
stuck in the past.
If you spend time on TikTok, you've probably noticed that 2023 has become the year of the pickle.
"I turned myself into a pickle, Morty!
Boom.
Big reveal.
I'm a pickle."
The trend is contagious.
Before you know it you'll be adding pickles to your pizza, making pickle slushies, or
serving a pickleback shot in a pickle for the ultimate disposable beverage.
Pickles with chamoy are popular, but you can also add slices to chocolate bites.
Dill pickles are where it's at.
They add a shot of umami to sweet and savory dishes.
It's fun to see chefs take to social media to try new pickle pairings, and the possibilities
seem to be endless.
A jar of pickles used to be seen as nothing but a burger garnish, hardly a star ingredient.
No longer.
These days, they're in demand and supremely versatile.
Pull out the air fryer for fried pickles – try them with a cumin and smoked paprika panko coating.
Then add a creamy ranch-style dip – maybe make it with cottage cheese?
Cutting edge and delicious.
When was the last time you cooked anything with cornmeal?
It's a classic ingredient that gets shoved in the back of the pantry after being used
for one specific recipe.
And cornmeal is gluten-free which is great news for anyone with an intolerance or allergy.
Cheap and easy corn meal is often associated with the Great Depression, but the country's
love of nostalgic foods is bringing it back front and center, often featured as cornbread.
For a taste of the South, make some old-fashioned corn pones, which are small cornbread-style pancakes.
You'll need cornmeal, obviously, plus some fat such as bacon dripping or vegetable oil.
These little cakes are delicious with either sweet syrup or a savory stew.
And everyone should try Southern-style shrimp and grits.
"You never heard of grits?"
"Sure.
Sure, I heard of grits.
I just actually never seen a grit before."
With parmesan mixed into the cornmeal and lemon and parsley used to season the seafood,
it's a real treat.
Jell-O and other gelatin brands haven't disappeared but they're not nearly as popular as they
were back in the '70s and '80s.
"It just seemed like a fact when I was a kid."
While some aspic and gelatin dishes of the past might look downright disgusting today,
there's undoubtedly been a revival.
LA-based Nünchi is giving jellied desserts an uber-trendy, artistic makeover with its
Asian-inspired creations.
The link between social media trends, art, and food is perfectly expressed through the
visual appeal of Jell-O. And let's not forget: it wiggles.
"Dessert?
I didn't make dessert.
Instead, I made some fun!"
Try making fun glitter shots with champagne or deep-sea desserts with sour fish candies
floating inside.
Or hop in the time machine and combine Jell-O with cake mix and Cool Whip for an old-fashioned
Jell-O poke cake.
Do you love the taste of jiggly Jello-O with cream?
Try creamy orange Jell-O salad with cream cheese, whipping cream, and mini marshmallows,
mixed with orange-flavored Jell-O and topped with mandarin slices.
It's like something out of Mad Men, but super now at the same time.
With a global market expected to be worth $1.09 billion by 2030, it's clear that the
root beer fanbase is exploding.
Popular producers such as Sprecher Brewing and Two Docs Brewing Co. are riding a root
beer wave that tops craft sodas and even alcoholic beers.
When you think about the recent trends in food nostalgia, it's not surprising that this
iconic drink reminiscent of diners and soda fountains is back in vogue.
"What about root beer?"
"Root beer?!"
If you haven't had it in a while then you might be surprised by the sheer variety that's
out there.
Pick one.
Then embrace the 1950s with a root beer float or invent a new cocktail.
Nowadays root beer is increasingly used in marinades to add a sweet tartness to meats.
The acidity helps tenderize meat for grilling.
You can use it to add flavor to pulled pork too, as the caramel notes complement smoky flavors.
You can even add root beer when you're cooking short ribs.
There's no doubt about it, cabbage is hardly beloved.
However, back in the day, cabbage was everywhere, including crash diets consisting of nothing
but cabbage soup.
For some people, cabbage is relegated to bad memories of school canteens and a pale, overcooked,
and watery scoopful of vegetables.
However, you can't keep a good veggie down and cabbage is back and more popular than ever.
The lockdowns of 2020 pushed the affordability, nutritional benefits, and versatility of cabbage
into the social media spotlight.
While it's often served as a side, it's also fantastic when it takes less of a leading
role, adding fiber and texture to dishes.
Or make it the hero in a crunchy cabbage salad with napa and red cabbage varieties.
Sesame oil, soy sauce, and peanut butter infuse it with an Asian flavor profile you'll love.
Need inspiration?
There are hundreds of cabbage recipes out there for you to try.
You can thank TikTok foodies for the recent rise in popularity of instant ramen noodles.
There's been a real interest in garnishing them with assorted ingredients to upgrade
the dish.
"This is instant noodle.
You know what else is instant noodle?
The spaghetti in your pantry.
It's the same thing."
Among the ramen noodle hacks, the idea of adding an egg, grated garlic, and Kewpie mayo
really caught on.
For optimal results, you'll want to whisk up the extra ingredients in a separate bowl first.
Then, add some of the noodle cooking water and the seasoning sachet.
The result is a creamy ramen sauce you'll want to make on a regular basis.
Though still super cheap, ramen noodles are no longer a basic meal but a comeback ingredient
for a whole range of enhanced dishes.
Add cooked meat and veggies and create your own bowl with your desired consistency by
adding more or less liquid.
Finish it off by customizing the dish with garnishes and other toppings.
If you're low on ideas, make David Chang's Momofuku ramen with a twist by combining veggies,
tofu, and bamboo shoots with the noodles and topping the bowl with green onions, nori,
and a poached egg.
Back in the day, buttermilk was produced on farms across the U.S. that churned their own
cream to make butter.
The liquid that was left over was traditionally made into buttermilk.
However, cultured buttermilk today often consists of milk with cultures added.
While it was once an everyday dairy product, it became less common in modern times.
However, the acidity of buttermilk makes it the perfect ingredient for reactions in baked
good recipes, helping muffins rise for example.
The versatility of buttermilk as an ingredient has really brought it to the attention of
the contemporary home chef.
"Buttermilk drinking contest!"
Buttermilk is used to make a thick batter for crispy frying and even as a salad dressing ingredient.
It has a sour, tangy taste and appeals to anyone who likes to keep their sugar intake
down since it has less lactose than milk.
Don't just associate this ingredient with pancakes and fried chicken.
It's way more complex than that.
If you have a sweet tooth, whip up a buttermilk pie.
Lemon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg give the buttermilk filling a zesty tang within a pastry case.