The Time Capsule Food Theory: Why We’re Emotionally Eating Like It’s 2016

The food itself was so fantastical that it served as escapism. Even at $25 for a Freakshake, they were an attainable luxury: You may not be able to head to Australia this summer, where the trend arguably originated, but you could hit up your nearest Sugar Factory to marvel at an entire dessert menu piled atop your milkshake.

What Jeff Kreisler, Head of Behavioral Science at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, said about the Lipstick Index—an economic theory that sales of affordable luxuries surge when people fear a recession is looming—feels just as apt to describe our renewed interest in fantastical food:  “It's what we do to get through the days,” said Kreisler in a 2024 article. “You can’t do the big American dream things, like buy a house. In some ways, these little things matter more. They’re special, and they can help you every day.”

While we aren’t in a recession right now, a soft job market and concerns over the impact of tariffs have provided a certain degree of economic uncertainty. As we live through the wait-and-see, it’s natural that we’d seek ways to soothe our rattled nerves—and that’s where comfort food and little luxuries come into play. Right at the center of those overlapping circles is the whimsical food of the twenty-teens: so over-the-top and offering such a break from the ordinary that they transported you. They’re an experience in and of themselves.

Take pickles: The ingredient has only risen in popularity since Google started tracking trends in 2004, initially making me question my theory, until I talked to the Popeyes culinary team about why they launched a full-on pickle menu this spring. “Pickles have always had a loyal fanbase, but right now, pickles are having a major moment—from TikTok to grocery store shelves, and pop culture. So, we thought, why not go all in? We turned this craveable, cult-favorite ingredient into a fully immersive menu experience.”

There it is: fully immersive menu experience. This wasn’t about going along with what’s trending; it was taking something people know and love—and, dare I say, feel nostalgic toward—in order to turn lunch (or dinner, or second dinner) into a break from the ordinary. It’s no wonder, then, that the very unexpected Pickle Lemonade proved to be a breakout hit from the limited run.

And that’s the difference today—one Sonic’s Johnson calls a “cultural shift.” “TikTok has turned every new menu item into a potential shared experience, making it incredibly easy for people to document their reactions in real time,” she says. “Where Instagram used to be about perfectly styled plates, TikTok is about full-on taste tests, drink hacks and real reactions that drive massive FOMO.”

The shift also explains the return of fast food chains’ secret menus—fan creations that only those “in the know” (or avidly scrolling TikTok) might stumble upon. People want to be part of the experience, down to the creation of the treat itself.

Interestingly, it’s the experiential part of these trends’ reemergence that may have made the Duchess of Sussex’s DIYs on With Love, Meghan so divisive. People bemoaned that her creations were so perfect that they didn’t feel authentic or relatable. But maybe that’s simply because, as a 43-year-old millennial, she experienced these things the first time around, only as these trends peaked, she was paused—life in the royal spotlight meant she had to give up her lifestyle blog, The Tig, and her Instagram account. Now that she’s no longer a senior royal, she’s free to post what she wants.

“It may just be that she left the internet in 2016 and then came back and just doesn't care about being late to the game because that's the stuff that she loves,” explains Rachel Bowie, PureWow senior director of royals and special projects.  “She's an elder millennial, a rom-com Julia lover, a Julia Roberts lover, Nancy Meyers addict. I feel like that sort of scripted perfection is something that is joyful for her.”