Gwyneth Paltrow and Martha Stewart rely on it for entertaining.
At times, TikTok seems like an endless stream of strange trends — some concerning, some confusing, and some downright dangerous. But a lot of the viral tricks and hacks that emerge from the platform are just plain fun (and conflict-free): think TikTok’s miracle products, simple-yet-glam beauty tips, and lavish butter board tutorials.
If you like to peek at TikTok more for the fun stuff and less for the disturbing crazes (DIY dentistry comes to mind), we’re here to report that the latest viral food tip is effortlessly casual yet incredibly sophisticated, and worthy of a dinner party or just a night in. For the past few months, TikTok users of all stripes have begun posting potato chips topped with small spoonfuls of caviar.
According to Eater, professional chefs have been snacking on chips and caviar (often accompanied by an optional domestic beer—PBR, anyone?) for years. The queen of preppy homemaking, Martha Stewart, has her own recipe dating back to 2018. But the current trend began when food influencer Danielle Matzon posted a video of herself spreading caviar onto “fitness bread” with a mother-of-pearl spoon. Since the video inspired tons of copycat content, the trend eventually evolved away from bread (fitness-oriented or otherwise) and toward the crispier textures of good old Lay’s or Pringles.
If you’re caviar-curious but aren’t sure where to get started, we’re pleased to report that you can follow the simple format used in Martha’s recipe or in this Goop video of none other than Gwyneth herself:
Grab a bag of potato chips (Martha fries her own from scratch, but that’s certainly not required), dab on some creme fraiche or sour cream, then dollop a bit of caviar on top. You can also take a tip from Rachel Ray and sprinkle sliced chives on top, for color and an extra pop of flavor.
The most fun part is playing around with ingredients to produce different flavor combinations: Food & Wine ranks classic potato chips as the tastiest, but barbecue and crab chips are standouts as well. And luckily for us, the caviar itself doesn’t have to break the bank. As Paltrow points out in her video, there’s a ton of affordable, sustainable caviar on the market now, whether at your local market or online. If you love the convenience of having fancy goods shipped to your door, we like this budget-friendly sturgeon caviar or this more luxurious (but not insanely extravagant) oyster, classic caviar, and trout roe box. The results are conveniently versatile, too: You can enjoy this snack as a quick solo meal, a dinner party appetizer, or a photogenic picnic snack.
