Gen Z ditches avocado toast for trendy ‘tomato ice toast’ â but is it ‘refreshing’ or ‘revolting’?
Sorry, millennials â Gen Z is trying to replace avocado toast with “tomato ice toast.”
And some say they’re trying too hard to be cool.
Gen Z TikTokkers have stunned viewers with their latest controversial concoctions using shaved, frozen vegetables to make savory granitas.
Granita â a simple shaved ice â has long been enjoyed by Italians, typically made by freezing fruit, herbal or spice juices, sometimes adding simple syrup, and scraping the frozen block into a bowl to be eaten.
Lemon, cinnamon, jasmine and espresso are some of the most common flavors found on menus around the world.
However, Gen Z foodies have put a fresh twist on the sweet treat by freezing whole fruits and vegetables and grating them on top of toast and burrata or mixing the shavings together for an ice-y salad.
In one of the most viral videos of the savory granitas, chef Eitan Bernath grated a portion of a frozen tomato over an open ball of burrata.
He then drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top, finishing with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and a sprig of basil.
Bernath seems to approve of his snack with a wide-eyed look.
However, viewers had mixed opinions on the creation.
“I donât know how I feel abt this,” the top comment reads, while another labeled it “REVOLTING.”
Some viewers thought the frozen version of a tomato, basil and burrata salad was “genius” but others simply said, “No.”
Shaved frozen tomatoes over burrata with olive oil, balsamic, flakey salt, and cracked pepper felt like the natural next iteration. #shavedice #recipe #frozentreats #caprese #burrata
The popular chef has posted more traditional recipes, including watermelon, pineapple, mango and orange â but he has continued to get creative.
He most recently posted a clip of a “shaved frozen cucumber tomato salad,” made by grating a frozen cucumber, tomato and red onion into a bowl and then drizzling the shavings with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
Bernath admitted that it “might sound absolutely insane” but insisted it “turned out to be a delicious savory granita.”
Shaved frozen cucumber tomato salad might sound absolutely insane, but it turned out to be a delicious savory granita. Donât knock it till you try it! #shavedice #recipe #tomatoes #frozentreats #summercooking
⬠Shik Shak Shok – Hassan Abu El So’oud
“Is that frozen salad or salad ice cream?” someone asked.
“This way, I’d definitely be a salad person,” another noted.
But again, not everyone was ready to whip up a bowl for themselves.
“One question…WHY?” a person commented.
TikTok foodie Mads, who goes by @cripanddip online, recently posted a clip claiming she “had to try” the trend that she said seems “so refreshing.”
if thereâs a tomato trend you know iâm gonna try it ð ð ð ð ð
In the video, Mads cuts a slice of sourdough bread, rubs it down with a clove of garlic, spreads a ball of burrata on the toast and then grates a little pile of frozen tomato and peach on top.
She completes the snack with a dribble of white balsamic vinegar and olive oil, a few basil leaves and sprinkles of salt and pepper.
The food lover was skeptical of the trending treat and complained that iced vegetables bothered her sensitive teeth â but was pleasantly surprised overall.
Mads did note that the tomato flavor was very subtle and admitted she would still prefer a pan con tomate â a piece of garlic toast topped with blended tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper.
“I love it,” she decided after a few bites.
The creative concoctions don’t seem to have taken off beyond social media and don’t appear to have been added to any menus this summer â but that doesn’t mean it won’t still happen.
