It’s no secret that TikTok has exploded in the past year and especially during various lockdowns and quarantines. While some are getting their groove on with different TikTok dances and challenges, a handful of folks are keeping busy by getting in the kitchen and cooking up a storm and that’s where these Canadian TikTok geniuses come in. We had a chance to have a quick chat with the most notable creators in the country about their fave and least fave food trends, what’s coming next and what they do when things don’t go the way they plan!
See also: Top Canadian Food Instagrammers To Follow in 2021
Sydney Melhoff – @SydneyMelhoff
@sydneymelhoff Cinnamon Roll Waffle Cereal ?? Ingredients posted on Instagram! ##waffle ##cinnamonroll ##minifood ##minitutorials ##Summer2020 ##HowTo
♬ boss – Tik Toker
Where do you get your inspiration from for new TikTok videos?
I just try to think outside the box and come up with fun ideas that everyone can make. I get my inspiration from experimenting in the kitchen and keeping an open mind in whichever direction it goes.
Have any of your recipes/videos not turned out the way you planned? How did you fix it?
I test my recipes before I make it for TikTok, so they normally turn out as planned. Regarding the videos, I use a cup as a tripod. My unprofessional set up has caused my phone to fall into my recipes a few times but I’ll normally just laugh it off and keep it in the video.
What’s been one of your favourite and least favourite food trends of 2020?
My favourite trend has been cookie/pancake cereal and my least favourite would be the cloud bread. Although it looked aesthetically pleasing, the taste/texture was not it.
What’s your favourite food item? What’s your favourite thing to make with it and why?
My favourite food item is popcorn. It’s the perfect snack that can be made both sweet or savoury. My favourite recipe to make with it is marshmallow popcorn balls. They are so delicious and easy to make!
Can you give us an idea of what you’re looking forward to making or trying in 2021?
I’m looking forward to creating new recipes and ideas that will inspire others. My favourite thing about TikTok is the ability for others to see my recipes and try them for themselves. I’m excited to make colourful, creative and fun recipes in 2021!
What’s your favourite meal to cook?
Contrary to what I post on TikTok, I prefer making savoury meals. I love sweet potatoes and my favourite thing to make with them are sweet potato nachos. They are super easy to make, healthy and delicious.
Katherine Grace Moore – @katherinewants
@katherinewants Say, King Crab Corn Dog five times fast ##ThisCouldBeUs ##corndog ##birthday ##ThisCouldBeUs ##SnowSZN ##fyp ##dinner ##katherinewants ##omg ##crab
♬ Samba De Uma Nota Se – Stan Getz
Where do you get your inspiration from for new TikTok videos?
The answer is in our handle! Our inspiration quite literally comes from what Katherine is craving.
Have any of your recipes/videos not turned out the way you planned? How did you fix it?
We try to keep our recipes as simple and straightforward as possible so that our viewers can recreate them. There have most definitely been some bloopers but luckily we can re-shoot the content so that it’s on point. We once shot a soft shell crab sandwich and didn’t post it, fearing that the preparation of the crab itself may be too offensive for our viewers!
What’s been one of your favourite and least favourite food trends of 2020?
Favourite: Smashed potatoes
Least Favourite: Whipped coffee
What’s your favourite food item? What’s your favourite thing to make with it and why?
My favourite food hands down: King Crab
Favourite thing to make with it: Asparagus & Hollandaise because YUM and I don’t want anything to make me too full so I can eat more King Crab.
Can you give us an idea of what you’re looking forward to making or trying in 2021?
Randy and I miss travel so much… I am definitely wanting Randy to recreate my favourite dishes from abroad!
What’s your favourite meal to cook?
Red meat in a cast iron pan.
Wallace Wong – @w2sixpackchef
@w2sixpackchef @overhaul84 ??##tiktokcooks ##tiktokfood ##foodtiktok ##ramsayreacts ##oddlysatisfying ##foodchallenge ##knife ##react ##howbizarre ##familyrecipe ##asmr ##yum
♬ Ronda Alla Turca – Mozart
Where do you get your inspiration from for new TikTok videos?
My inspiration for new TikTok videos come from various sources. It starts off with a main focus such as a song, hashtag or a trend, and then from there I see how I can incorporate my style of content in terms of food and video creative. I then make the videos unique and authentic to me. I also love and have recently taken a lot of inspiration from my followers and audience! I am very interactive with my audience and love to hear what they want to see from me whether it’s a recipe, ingredient or information.
Have any of your recipes/videos not turned out the way you planned? How did you fix it?
Yes all the time! For every video I make, whatever the item or ingredient is, I usually have 3-5 pieces or “extras” of them. To fix things when they don’t turn out the way I had planned, I simply just remake and reshoot! Which actually happens A LOT!
What’s been one of your favourite and least favourite food trends of 2020?
My favorite food trend of 2020 is FOOD TIKTOK! I love the community! In regards to an actual recipe or item: Dalgona Coffee, Cloud Bread and obviously “Cool / Crazy Cutting Videos”.
I have to say that there was not a food trend I disliked in 2020! I really thought, even more so in 2020 than ever, all things food related helped bring people together, which is one of the reasons why I cook and love to cook in the first place!
What’s your favourite food item? What’s your favourite thing to make with it and why?
My favourite food item is ANYTHING with bones or requires me to use my hands to eat! Chicken wings, burgers, fresh crunchy sourdough, ribs, french fries, fried or roasted chicken, whole steamed fish etc.! These are actually also my favourite things to make and it’s because they tend to be the most flavourful and fun to eat and make!
Think about it, some of the best foods are the ones where utensils are not needed!
Can you give us an idea of what you’re looking forward to making or trying in 2021?
In 2021, I am looking forward to really showing people some recipes and food items based on health and fitness but with my culinary twists! Most of my TikTok audience know me for really incredible knife skills, ASMR and some trendy kitchen tips and tricks. They haven’t really seen or know why I am called “Six Pack Chef” – I am also a top fitness athlete (hence Six Pack) but also a trained chef! So my main goal for my TikTok this year is to show people you can have tasty, delicious food and live a healthy and fit lifestyle, which means more recipes involving my fitness background.
I am also looking forward to trying out new trends that people tag me in! It’s the things that I am not anticipating that get me curious and want to try them out! Love finding new culinary surprises!
What’s your favourite meal to cook?
My favourite meal to cook is definitely family meal or family style food that you can build on your own or is interactive! Think Korean Bo Ssam, hot pot, Korean/Japanese BBQ, taco stations, large roasted meats and platters. Like I mentioned before, it’s the experience and connection that I can have with people through food that I really enjoy. These types of meals and items are some of the best ways to experience them!
Eden Hagos – @edenthefoodie
@edenthefoodie Banan Peze & Spicy Mango salad, see www.blackfoodie.co for full recipe ##blackfoodie ##haitianfood ##caribbeanfood
♬ Djadja (feat. Maluma) [Remix] – Aya Nakamura
Where do you get your inspiration from for new TikTok videos?
I get inspiration from so many places. I love collecting cookbooks, especially Black cookbooks to learn more about Black food culture. I get a lot of inspo from these books as well as my family. One of my favourite things to do is remix my cultural recipes.
Have any of your recipes/videos not turned out the way you planned? How did you fix it?
Yup! I’ve had so many cooking fails. Sometimes I turn it into a completely different dish, add some hot sauce and call it a day. Other times, I try again until I get it right. That’s the great thing about cooking, you can taste as you go and adjust accordingly. In terms of videos, I shared a video on my injera lessons in Ethiopia that didn’t go as planned. Injera is a fermented flatbread that is a staple in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine and it takes quite a bit of skill and practice to get right. I’m not an expert and was definitely fumbling a bit, but I enjoy learning and shared this video for fun. Within days, hundreds of thousands of people had watched my injera lesson on TikTok too!
What’s been one of your favourite and least favourite food trends of 2020?
My favourite food trend has been the baking trend. I loved learning about sourdough and seeing all the amazing bread designs that hit the internet. I’m all for carbs! My least favourite food trend is when folks throw food for no reason in their cooking tutorials or spill their food on purpose. Why waste food like that??!?
What’s your favourite food item? What’s your favourite thing to make with it and why?
I love plantain. I really could eat plantain every day. I love it because it’s so versatile and it’s the perfect snack. It can be both sweet or savoury, depending on the ripeness and how you prepare it. One of my favourite recipes to make with plantains is tostones (twice fried plantains) with some avocado/mango salsa or spicy Haitian pikliz.
Can you give us an idea of what you’re looking forward to making or trying in 2021?
I’m looking forward to remixing more traditional recipes and adding my own spin. From plantain shepherd’s pie to Ethiopian patties, I have so many ideas on how to step up my cooking this year.
What’s your favourite meal to cook?
One of my favourite meals to cook is Jamaican brown stew chicken with rice and peas, fried plantains and coleslaw. I always have some good music in the background and make a big batch for later. I didn’t grow up eating Caribbean food but through BLACK FOODIE I learned so much about different Caribbean cuisines and I’m so blessed to have chef friends teach me how to cook Caribbean staples. Nowadays, I cook Caribbean food almost as much as I cook Ethiopian food.
Sara Abdul-Aziz – @nutrientmatters
@nutrientmatters ? ? ? ? ##honeygarlicchicken ##quickdinner ##easyrecipe ##HolidayCrafts ##MerryBOSSmas
♬ original sound – Sara
Where do you get your inspiration from for new TikTok videos?
I keep an ongoing note on my phone of every recipe I want to create. Anytime I have a thought for a new recipe, I add it to the list. At the start of the week, when I decide what recipes I am going to create, I check my note and select the recipes that work best with my current circumstance (i.e what’s in season, what I’m craving, what I have time for etc.). My inspiration for a specific recipe comes from practically anywhere. Inspiration for a recipe could come from me trying a new dish at a restaurant, seeing a picture of food, feeling nostalgic about childhood meals, or memorable meal experiences and wanting to recreate them in my own way.
Have any of your recipes/videos not turned out the way you planned? How did you fix it?
Yes, sometimes a recipe won’t turn out the way I was expecting, which is very normal and can happen as a result of so many factors – Sometimes beyond our own control. If the recipe didn’t turn out right because of an issue with the flavours, I don’t post the video and try to work with the flavours until I am satisfied with the recipe. If the recipe didn’t turn out the way I was expecting from an aesthetic or filming point of view, I will still post the video and try to improve the value of the video through the editing process. I also might re-film and post the same recipe on my page to feature multiple takes captured with a different aesthetic each time.
What’s been one of your favourite and least favourite food trends of 2020?
My favourite food trends were the whipped coffee trend and my most recent obsession – The cream cheese stuffed jalapeño with spicy Cheetos! I love the combination of the fresh crunchy jalapeño, cooling cream cheese and the salty Cheetos – A Snacking Masterpiece. My least favourite food TikTok trend would have to be anything cooked in a mug – I actually tried this one, even with all my doubts, and instead of cinnamon roll goodness, I got uncooked flour with a side of cinnamon sugar. Patience and an oven sounds like a better plan to me!
What’s your favourite food item? What’s your favourite thing to make with it and why?
My favourite end all be all food item ingredient to cook with would be a yellow onion. It is the perfect base for most meals and adds the necessary aroma of deliciousness that we all know and love!
Can you give us an idea of what you’re looking forward to making or trying in 2021?
I started my account to shed light on the consumption of real whole foods, to show people that cooking from home with simple ingredients can yield delicious food within reasonable amounts of time. I also wanted my platform to serve as an example that a “healthy” lifestyle does not have to be an all or nothing approach. That’s why I like to make recipes that can be adapted to serve a plethora of health goals and dietary restrictions without eliminating or alienating certain foods. This past year, I learned that my followers love my simple recipes that incorporate ingredients most people already have at home, and that is definitely the type of content I want to focus on creating more consciously in 2021.
What’s your favourite meal to cook?
This is such a difficult question! Some of my absolute favourite go-to meals are inspired by Asian flavours and cooking. Anything teriyaki, stir-fried, and served with jasmine rice sounds like home to me!
Feature Image: Sydney Melhoff
