What Is 'Chaos' Cooking, And Is It Worth Trying Out?
Living in the age of social media, there isn't a day that goes by that our lives aren't affected by the latest trend, hack, or craze. And all of these spill over to the food world.
For example, the internet gave birth to the popularization of avocado toast, per The Washington Post. Can you even imagine a Sunday morning without it? Over the past few years, people have lent their food repertoire and recipes through TikTok — remember dalgona coffee? Albeit, there may be some food trends that should not be spoken of again.
Food trends predate the internet, though. In fact, during the 1970s, the concept of "fusion cuisine" took the culinary world by storm, according to Exquisite Taste. Mainstream fusion cuisine, which blends the food of different cultures, is often credited to chef Wolfgang Puck, who created fusion fares like the Buffalo Chicken Spring Roll and Barbeque Nachos. However, Smithsonian Magazine notes the concept had already existed in countries such as Vietnam, Jamaica, and India, in which some of their cuisines were born out of colonialism.
Although fusion cuisine hasn't gone anywhere, it appears it may have a messier, younger sister called "chaos cooking."
Chaos cooking is a cohesive mess
Chaos cooking has been described as a mash-up of global cuisines, or as Eater puts it, a "weird, troll-y" marriage of cuisines. In a nutshell, chaos cooking is combining ingredients that typically don't go together into a cohesive dish. It's the latest social media trend on TikTok, the hashtag #chaoscooking has over 151 million views. If this sounds familiar to fusion cooking, it's probably because it is. For some, chaos cooking is a more "aggressive" take on fusion cuisine (via Delish).
Restaurants and food businesses are getting on the trend too. Food experts tell Axios that they foresee dishes born from chaos cooking put onto restaurants menus across the country. Chaos cooking is part of a larger trend in which consumers are looking to "expand their palates with unique global fare," which the National Restaurant Association calls "flavor tourism" in its 2023 culinary forecast.
There are already some restaurants betting on the chaos cooking trend. Nashville's Chauhan Ale & Masala House offers Indian-inspired Pork Keema Papadi Nachos and Delirama has Pastrami Tacos on its menu in Berkeley, California. On TikTok, Washington D.C.'s pizzeria Boogey and Peel uploaded a video of an employee making its signature "Harambe Loved Big Macs," a pizza topped with Big Mac ingredients, including beef, cheese, onions, and pickles. And just last year, restaurant chain TGI Friday's rolled out a dish called "Tandoori Chicken Skewers FRIjitas," which blends Indian and Tex-Mex fare (via Eatery Pulse News).
How to chaos cook at home
Chaos cooking can be good for your mental health, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper describes chaos cooking as an outlet that "openly subverts mainstream rules for how to cook and what tastes or looks good in a way that's both playful and intelligent." Chaos cooking doesn't have to be fancy. You don't even need the most elaborate tools or extravagant ingredients. In fact, plant-based chef Kate Ray suggests one can start chaos cooking by experimenting with a familiar dish, so that "the stakes for experimenting are lower," per The Washington Post. Ray recommends starting with oatmeal or congee because they have "limitless" combinations.
If you're looking to try chaos cooking, there are already existing recipes to attempt. Some popular fusion dishes, such as Birria Ramen and Sashimi Tostadas, have been on the market before the concept of chaos cooking was popularized (via Eater). TV personality and chef Jeff Mauro shared a few of his ideas on Good Morning America. Looking to nosh on some "chaos" creations? Try adding barbecue potato chips inside peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a sweet and savory combo. Mauro also shared dinner ideas, such as jalapeno popcorn shrimp topped with mango puree and popcorn as well as chicken wings coated in caramel sauce, for the ambitious chef at home.