I’m an influencer scrooge. Flashy marketing makes me sick. I turn my nose up at food reviews on TikTok once I see links and paid commission notices. This consumer world makes me scream “bah humbug!” But sometimes, when the stars align, something beautiful happens: viral products live up to the hype we all see online. Even my skepticism can’t change the fact that some viral products—viral foods, in particular—are viral for a reason. Here at Sporked, we’ve tasted some duds (sorry, but Pink Sauce just wasn’t it), but a few splashy eats everyone was talking about on social media actually ended up being delicious. Here are five viral products we think are viral for a reason.
- Blue Bell Dr Pepper Float Ice Cream
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I will admit, I scoffed at the idea of a float-flavored ice cream. How can you mimic a float without the soda-plus-ice cream form factor? Well, Blue Bell proved me wrong, because their Dr Pepper Float ice cream nails the float flavor. That sweet, frothy flavor you get when you mix Dr Pepper with a couple scoops of ice cream totally comes through in this tub, yet the texture is still all creamy ice cream. Floats are gonna need to step it up, because this ice cream has beat them at their own game.
- Everything Bagel Cup Noodles
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Everything bagel seasoning has appeared on about a million products, but we can’t say we ever expected to find it in a cup of noodles. Nissin Cup Noodle has generated a decent amount of attention online by releasing wild-sounding concoctions, like s’mores noodles and breakfast noodles complete with syrup and sausage. Their everything bagel Cup Noodles were the best of the bunch. They’re so creamy and flavorful, I couldn’t stop myself from slurping down the whole cup of noodles in minutes. The soft noodles punctuated with crunchy pieces of garlic, poppy seed, and caraway seed take you on a textural journey and make every bite more exciting than the last. New Yorkers may be clutching their bagels and crying when I say this, but I really mean it: Nissin knows how to reinvent the everything bagel.
- Coffee-mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer
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I’m moving to Utah! Okay, I’m not really moving to Utah, but I’m in the Utah mindset that dirty soda is a fantastic drink, and this Coffee-mate creamer is what sold me. This coconut-lime concoction was designed to complement Dr Pepper, and it really works so well. The flavors of coconut and lime are prominent, but they don’t totally overpower the 23 flavors in Dr P. Every sip of a dirty soda made with this creamer leaves you feeling like you’re sunbathing on a sandy beach, as you get a creamy, tropical aftertaste as the last of the bubbles fizz on your tongue. If you like dirty soda, buy this if you can find it. It’s a viral product for a reason.
Read our full review of Coffee-mate Coconut Lime Dirty Soda Creamer
- Try Guys Hot Sauce
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If you want the individual ranking breakdown of the three Try Guys hot sauces, it’s Keith’s Taco Sauce on top, then Keith’s Burger Sauce, and Keith’s Chicken Sauce third. But who really cares about the breakdown when all three earn a resounding YES!!! They’re just so flavorful and have just enough kick to make them appropriate to please the masses. Put the sauces on their designated meal, or mix and match by putting some chicken sauce on your burger. It doesn’t matter. They’re just that good they can be used for anything!
Read our full review of Try Guys hot sauce
- TRUFF Dark Side
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I know this all seems gimmicky. The black truffle. The head of Darth Vader that you have to twist off to indulge in said truffle hot sauce. And you might be right. But being gimmicky doesn’t mean that it can’t also be a really tasty sauce. The ghost pepper brings a sharp spice, strong enough to pair with the truffle oil without being totally drowned out. The lightsaber-sharp spice evolves into a bright and fruity, almost BBQ saucy sweetness that makes this a complex spice adventure and not a one-trick-pony. At this point Luke should be reaching out to me for tips on taking down Darth Vader considering how many times I’ve decapitated him in the name of accessing more deliciously spicy TRUFF sauce.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!