The year was 2016. Instagram was only six years old, Stranger Things debuted on Netflix with a distinctly retro vibe, and rainbow food ruled our feeds. Nearly a decade later, with the show returning for its final season in 2026, a viral trend claiming that “2026 is the new 2016” has us feeling nostalgic all over again. That got us looking back at the foods that once defined the era. Some of these trends have evolved into something new, while others haven’t changed much at all. From matcha and açaí bowls to ube, cauliflower and avocado toast, here’s a look at the food trends of 2016—and how they’re showing up on our plates today.
Here’s how some of the biggest food trends of 2016 stack up against their 2026 counterparts.
2016: Rainbow food
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In 2016, rainbow food was everywhere. We’re talking multi-coloured grilled cheese, rainbow bagels (in 2016, a bakery in South Williamsburg closed temporarily due to the onslaught of orders) and really anything else that could have that viral combination of vibrant colour and food. Even lattes couldn’t escape.
2026: Funfetti everything
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Rainbow food has mellowed out, sort of. Multi-coloured sprinkles have taken over, in the form of funfetti cakes or as toppings to add whimsy to simple cakes.
Anna Olson's recipe for a white velvet cake – a vanilla cake made with unwhipped egg whites instead of whole eggs – with ermine frosting.
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Anna Olson's recipe for a white velvet cake – a vanilla cake made with unwhipped egg whites instead of whole eggs – with ermine frosting.
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2016: Matcha as a healthy ingredient
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The hype originated in 2016. “What is matcha and why is everyone obsessed with it?” wrote Kat Odell in a story for Eater in April 2016. The answer was easy: it was a combination of everything people love: it had cultural integrity (dating back to 1600s Japan), it was a healthier take on coffee and it was colourful.
2026: Matcha in everything
While matcha continues to reach new peaks in popularity since, the hype originated in 2016. Some people began drinking matcha lattes as a morning coffee substitute. Others simply loved the taste and would enjoy matcha-flavoured ice cream or baked goods, like these Easy Matcha Almond Cookies.
These cookies have a shortbread-like texture that just melts in your mouth, and the matcha adds a deliciously earthy taste. A glaze of almond icing and dusting of more matcha powder adds a whimsical touch.
Emiko Davies' easy recipe for shortbread-like matcha cookies glazed with almond icing.
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Emiko Davies' easy recipe for shortbread-like matcha cookies glazed with almond icing.
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2016: Açaí bowls
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2026: Açaí bowls
If there’s one food trend that never got a makeover, it’s the açaí bowl. The classic combo of blended açaí, fresh fruit and granola is just as recognizable – and just as loved – as it was in 2016. What’s really changed is how açaí bowls appear on social media: back then, they were styled with saturated filters and carefully contrived shots, while today they’re more likely to appear in process videos, showing people making them in situ, adding toppings and eating them casually.
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2016: Avocado toast
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In 2016, making a piece of toast became an art form. Butter and jam were out and avocado was in. “Avocado toast” was nothing new (Australian chef Bill Granger, thought to be the inventor of the brunch favourite, put it on the menu of his Sydney café’s in 1993), but by 2016 avocado toast was becoming mainstream. Popular toppings included slices of avocado with a jammy poached egg or cream cheese with jam. Most importantly, these toasts were pretty enough to be posted on social media.
2026: Avocado on toast, and so much more
Created by Indian-British chef Chetna Makan, these Cheesy Egg Toasts are picture-perfect too. It starts with coriander yogurt chutney on a slice of bread. Add on a mixture of cheese, coriander, chili and spring onion and bake until melted. Top it all off with a runny egg and enjoy.
Chetna Makan's recipe for cheesy egg toast with coriander-yogurt chutney, inspired by the Mumbai dish known as kejriwal.
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Chetna Makan's recipe for cheesy egg toast with coriander-yogurt chutney, inspired by the Mumbai dish known as kejriwal.
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2016: Cauliflower Pizza
Every year, new health and wellness trends take over the mainstream. In 2016, cauliflower became the star of the show. Known as the “caulipower” moment, riced cauliflower was used as a substitute for wheat for pizza crust recipes. Cauliflower was the super ingredient for gluten-free crust and was touted as a low-carb replacement for potatoes and and rice.
2026: Cauliflower Steaks
This year, let cauliflower take centre stage again with delicious recipes like these Cauliflower Steaks with Chimichurri. The best part is that this recipe is super simple. Hearty cauliflower steaks are baked in the oven for around 25 minutes. In the meantime, make your spicy chimichurri sauce. Serve them together and top with Parmesan cheese shavings, scallions and radishes for an easy plant-based main.
Spicy chimichurri is a flavour explosion that adds a kick to every bite of this cauliflower and vegan parmesan steak.
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Spicy chimichurri is a flavour explosion that adds a kick to every bite of this cauliflower and vegan parmesan steak.
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Prince Edward County's Flame + Smith restaurant shares their recipe for ember-roasted cauliflower steaks.
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Prince Edward County's Flame + Smith restaurant shares their recipe for ember-roasted cauliflower steaks.
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2016 and 2026: Ube EVERYTHING
Like the rainbow food trend, ube became popular across North America due to its natural vibrant purple hue, resulting instagrammable look. The fact that ube is actually a yam made people even more fascinated – and they still are.
Baker Melissa Owens describes the flavour of ube as "subtle, earthy, and vanilla-like. It reminds me a little bit of taro. It pairs perfectly with the richness of the cream cheese in these bars."
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Baker Melissa Owens describes the flavour of ube as "subtle, earthy, and vanilla-like. It reminds me a little bit of taro. It pairs perfectly with the richness of the cream cheese in these bars."
Get the recipe
