From crunchy to creamy, texture is the new star on the plate
The importance of texture in food has surged, with many Americans now prioritizing it alongside taste. Social media trends and generational preferences have shifted focus towards how food feels, leading to a significant rise in the global food texture market. Chefs and home cooks alike are increasingly incorporating contrasting textures into their dishes to enhance the dining experience.
- ▪CrunchTok has garnered over 1.5 billion views on TikTok, highlighting the growing interest in food texture.
- ▪Nearly half of American restaurant-goers consider texture as important as taste, with younger generations leading this trend.
- ▪The global food texture market is projected to grow from $17.43 billion in 2026 to $29.10 billion within the next decade.
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#CrunchTok has racked up more than 1.5 billion views on TikTok. Social media usage of the word “velvety” to describe food is up 40% quarter over quarter, and nearly half of American restaurant-goers now say texture is just as important as taste. Flavor used to be the star, but in 2026, how food feels has caught up. Some bites stick in the memory long after the plate is cleared, and it is rarely just about seasoning. More often, it is about texture: the crisp of a slightly burnt edge, the pull of melted cheese, the crunch of toasted nuts on top of a salad. These seemingly small details are what make a dish hard to forget. Restaurants have built dishes around this for years, and now home cooks are catching up.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Washington Times.
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