Hi, Tigers! Were you ever scrolling on TikTok and seeing any popular foods you wanted to try but are too scared to? Don’t worry, Tigers, we got you. We will give you our honest reviews and thoughts on the latest TikTok trending foods. This is staff reporters Veronica Konarkowski and Isabel Rodriguez, and we are so excited to try some of these very strange foods to let you know if we recommend them or not. We will describe what these foods are, their prices, ingredients, and, most importantly, our honest thoughts on them. We hope this article entertains and inspires you guys to go out and try something new.

Dubai Chocolate

Yes, this chocolate originated from Dubai and by the looks of it, it seems very rich. This chocolate is made with knafeh and pistachio. It was created in 2021, but in 2024 it became very popular on social media. We heard very mixed reviews on this chocolate. Many people say it’s amazing, some say it was overhyped and others say it was disgusting. So we had no idea if we were going to enjoy this product. We purchased this Dubai Chocolate from a store called Riches in Thatcher Ave, River Grove for $13.99 (not including taxes). The price was very expensive but the chocolate bar was pretty big and thick. You can also find other places that sell this or even order it online, but the chocolate might come melted. If you want to make this product, you will need to purchase a chocolate mold, any type of chocolate that you prefer, pistachios and kataifi pastry, but it can get a little pricey, messy and time consuming. You can purchase these ingredients at your local stores or even order it online. Here we linked an in depth tutorial on how to make this: Dubai Chocolate Recipe Tutorial

Veronica’s Review: I had very high hopes about this chocolate. I was so excited to try it but after I took a bite of this chocolate I asked, “That’s what the hype was all about?” This chocolate was very overrated and over-hyped. I was expecting it to taste so much better. It literally tasted like a KitKat. Don’t get me wrong, it is very good and very crunchy, but I expected more from how people hyped it up and said it was so good. I rate this chocolate an 8/10. The chocolate melts in your mouth. I recommend trying it, but it isn’t really all that so don’t get your hopes up too high.

Isabel’s Review: I was super excited for this one because everyone all over TikTok has been talking about it. When breaking the Dubai Chocolate, you can just see the nice thick layer of pistachio and kataifi. I took a bite and instantly agreed with Veronica. The chocolate isn’t bad itself, but it is definitely overrated. You really must have a sweet tooth to eat this whole bar. It’s very crunchy due to the kataifi, which I loved though. I would recommend, but the Dubai Chocolate is something you wouldn’t get all the time. It’s more like a one time thing. I give it a 7.5/10. 

Hwachae

Hwachae originated from Korea and includes ingredients that you would never imagine putting  together. To make your own bowl of Hwachae you need strawberry milk, Sprite (or some sort of carbonated drink of your choice), a cup of ice, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries, and grapes. Hwachae has been around since 1829 but got popular in 2024 through social media. There are VERY mixed opinions on this bowl. Some call it gross while others find it super refreshing and hydrating. People tend to have Hwachae when they are dehydrated since it is supposed to hydrate you. You can go to any store to purchase these ingredients, but we went to Aldi to buy the fruit. (The strawberries cost $3.29; the watermelon was $3.95; the blueberries were $2.19; and the grapes were $6.59.) Then we went to Walgreens to purchase a 2 liter Sprite for $3.59 and strawberry milk, which was 2 for $4. The total came out to $23.61 (not including tax). It’s a little pricey, but you can always include less ingredients or find them at different stores for lower prices. Some will most likely be able to find these ingredients right in their kitchen. Here we linked an in depth tutorial on how to make this: Hwachae (Korean Fruit Bowl).]

Veronica’s Review: I was scared to try this. After the first spoonful, though, I couldn’t stop eating it. After a while it started hurting my stomach but surprisingly it was very good. The Sprite definitely saved it by making it taste better. Hwachae is a little bit more work to make, but it’s definitely worth a try. I feel like the more fruits you add the better it will taste. I give it a 7/10.

Isabel’s Review: I didn’t want to try this at first. I hate strawberry milk and the thought of strawberry milk mixed with Sprite made me sick. After the first bite I looked over to Veronica and said, “It’s not bad!” I was so surprised that it didn’t taste disgusting. You can’t really taste the strawberry milk since the Sprite overpowers it, so it honestly didn’t really taste like strawberry milk at all. The fruit was very good with the Sprite taste. I give it a 8.5/10; I would recommend!

Tanghulu

Tanghulu originated from Northern China; it is also known as ‘Bing’. Tanghulu seems very simple to make but it’s a bit more complicated than you think. It consists of different fruits that are dipped into sugary candy coating. To make Tanghulu you will need to put your fruits on a skewer. You’re going to want to boil sugar and water in a pot WITHOUT stirring it over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 300°, and then you turn off the stove so you don’t burn the sugar. During this process you’ll want to work quickly by dipping each piece of fruit into the syrup as fast as you can and making sure you DO NOT STIR the melted sugar. Then let the fruit sit on parchment paper so the syrup can harden. You can use any preferred fruit. We used strawberries and grapes from Aldi to purchase our ingredients, but any grocery store will have fruit. The strawberries were $3.29 and the grapes cost $6.59. We purchased our bag of sugar at Walmart for $3.15. The total came out to $13.02 (without tax), not as bad as the other foods we tried. Here we linked an in depth tutorial on how to make this: Tanghulu Tutorial

Veronica’s Review: We did not follow our own advice – we mixed the sugar and water. I recommend following our advice or you’re going to have very sticky teeth and may even break a tooth. This is very hard and complicated to make, so I don’t recommend making it if you can’t follow simple instructions, like us. I almost broke a tooth trying to bite into a grape. The sugar was just so sticky. It started to make a mess and I couldn’t get it out of my teeth. I don’t recommend making this. I give it a 3/10.

Isabel’s Review: This is very hard to make, honestly. Don’t be me and Veronica; follow the recipe exactly how it is. It was so sticky and hard to get off my teeth and, honestly, if you aren’t careful it can really mess up your teeth. This was a complete fail. Biting into it just tasted like pure sugar and it was disgusting. The fruit did help the taste a little, but this was a failure. I give it a 1/10.

Buldak Ramen

Buldak Ramen is a South Korean brand of instant noodles. This Ramen is considered one of the spiciest instant noodles available on the Korean market. If you don’t enjoy spicy foods, you won’t enjoy this Ramen. We are very nervous trying this Ramen because we don’t know how spicy it is. Many people couldn’t bear the heat while others found it mild. So we had mixed reviews before trying this. You can purchase this in any Korean market, your local Target or Walmart, or online through Amazon. The price of this Ramen varies depending on where you purchase it. For a pack of 5, it costs about $7.

Veronica’s Review: My mouth is still on fire. This is the spiciest Ramen I’ve tried. I was expecting spice but not this spicy. I mean on the package it does say it’s very spicy, so I shouldn’t be surprised or complaining. Overall the noodles were very good and it was super fast and easy to make. I don’t recommend it if you can’t tolerate spice, like me. I rate it a 4/10.

Isabel’s Review: I honestly love spicy food and I was prepared for this to be spicy. The Ramen was very good and spicy, but we didn’t mix the whole packet of spice in so it wasn’t horrible and rather cheesy. After this I went out and bought more to have at home. I give this an 8/10. I would recommend.

Onion Boil

You guys may think eating a whole boiled onion is crazy, which it is. It became popular in June of 2024. A content creator posted a video of herself eating this crazy onion. Other creators joined in and tried this onion, adding more spices and flavoring to it. This onion is considered to be a little snack. We are very disgusted just by the thought of trying this, but what is a food review without trying an insane combo. For this you will need to purchase an onion, unsalted butter, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, dried parsley, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and any other seasonings you enjoy. You can most likely find these ingredients in your house. Here we linked an in depth tutorial on how to make this outrageous snack: Boiled Onion Tutorial

Veronica’s Review: What was this? Not only did we have to bake it for like 2 hours but it didn’t even turn out good. It tasted disgusting and I almost threw up taking a bite. I also started crying from cutting it and then again when I was actually trying it. I DO NOT RECOMMEND. This is absolutely the worst thing I have ever put into my mouth. I really don’t understand how people can eat this as a “little snack”. It takes so long to make and it doesn’t even taste good. Do not waste your time and tears making this. Due to how bad this was I don’t even think it deserves a rating, but since this is a review, I rate it a -1000/10. 

Isabel Review: Honestly, what did we expect? It’s not good at all. The baking process was long and smelly. My mom even asked us what we were making. I see how some people could like this, especially since supposedly it’s a healthy snack you can eat frequently. Taking my first bite I instantly regretted it, though. The taste is very strong. It was very buttery as well, which was the only thing I actually enjoyed. If you like heavily seasoned food, you would maybe enjoy this. I rate this a 1/10.

In conclusion, we expected more. We were genuinely so excited about some of these, but we were left disappointed. Some of these foods tasted very good but others (AKA the onion) were a nightmare. Our favorite was definitely the Dubai Chocolate because we didn’t have to do any work to make it, plus it was the best thing we tried from this list. I think you guys know what our least favorite was, so let’s just never speak about it again. Not only were we left with disappointment and tears in some of the food, but our bank accounts suffered as well. We spent way too much money reviewing these. If you guys are very curious and want to waste your money and time, go for it. We aren’t judging. I hope you all enjoyed our article more than we did trying these foods for you!

Works Cited:

• Adarme, A. (2024, September 2). Tanghulu Recipe. A Cozy Kitchen. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.acozykitchen.com/tanghulu-recipe
• Buldak Ramen. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buldak_Ramen
• Elliott, L. (2024, September 16). Dubai Chocolate Viral Recipe. Not Quite Nigella. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.notquitenigella.com/2024/09/16/dubai-chocolate-recipe/
• Martin, H. (2024, October 31). What Is an Onion Boil? The Viral TikTok Trend Has Layers. Today Show. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://www.today.com/food/trends/onion-boil-tiktok-rcna178095
• Shi, M. (2024, April 23). Hwachae (Korean Fruit Bowl) | easy recipe instructions with video. Ms Shi and Mr He. Retrieved March 10, 2025, from https://msshiandmrhe.com/hwachae/