The Instagram-driven trend of making every food item a technicolor spectacle.
Origin
Rainbow bagels from The Bagel Store in Brooklyn went viral in early 2016, triggering an explosion of multicolored foods. Rainbow grilled cheese, rainbow pasta, rainbow sushi, rainbow lattes—if it existed, someone made it rainbow. The trend overlapped with “unicorn food” aesthetics featuring pastel pinks, purples, and glitter.
Peak Era (2016-2018)
Major brands capitalized: Starbucks launched the Unicorn Frappuccino (April 2017), creating massive lines and social media frenzy. Food companies released rainbow Oreos, rainbow bagels in supermarkets, and rainbow everything. Critics questioned whether artificial food dyes were worth the Instagram likes, but the trend persisted through 2018.
Decline
By 2019, rainbow food fatigue set in. Health-conscious consumers questioned artificial coloring, and the aesthetic felt dated as food trends shifted toward “natural” aesthetics and earthy tones. The trend became associated with try-hard marketing rather than genuine culinary innovation.
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