“Chaos cooking” is the fun and carefree food experience Gen Z is looking for. 

“Chaos cooking” is the fun and carefree food experience Gen Z is looking for. Similar to the gen’s popular descriptor “unhinged,” calling something “chaotic” has a positive connotation and communicates the desire to shake things up and make your own rules. YPulse’s new trend research The End of Foodie Culture (As We Know It) shows that Gen Z is not looking for picture perfect food and “chaos cooking” is the antithesis of Instagram worthy standards of perfection. More restaurants are creating unique cultural mashups of various cuisines, like “cheeseburger arancini, Big Mac pizza, pastrami tacos, tandoori spaghetti, masala cheesesteaks, and biscuit and gravy pierogies. There’s cajun red beans and rice on nachos and chorizo and queso on popcorn.” These new restaurant menus are most commonly produced by BIPOC chefs who are turning their traditional family meals into a creation they hope can be shared and loved by a blend of cultures. Many are “reasserting” their identities while cherishing their diverse backgrounds in a (delicious) way that brings people together. (Eater)