Serious Eats: Most Popular Feature Stories of the Year
A vivid tour through essays that reimagined food culture and kitchen discoveries.
As another culinary year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the articles our readers loved most. From viral trends and kitchen revelations to thoughtful essays and deep-dive explorations into the culture of food, these are the stories that captivated, educated, and whetted appetites. Join us on a tour of the past year’s highlights from the Serious Eats features desk—where food wasn’t just cooked, but questioned, celebrated, and reimagined.
Contents
- Food Trends and Virality
- The Culture Table: Dining Beyond Recipes
- Kitchen Deep Dives: Science, History, and Technique
- Personal Essays: Memories and Meaning
- Culinary Adventures: Eating Across the Map
- Expert Q&A: A Taste of Professional Insights
- Frequently Asked Questions
Food Trends and Virality
2024 witnessed the rise—and sometimes, the crash landing—of several viral foods and kitchen trends. Our readers flocked to our breakdowns of viral sensations not just for recipes, but for the whys and hows that make these trends tick.
Taste of Virality
- The Year of the Smash: You couldn’t open social media without seeing smash burgers and smashed potatoes. We explained why this crave-worthy texture wins hearts, and how to master it at home with simple science.
- Pasta Chips and Tiktok Crunch: From air fryer pasta chips to cookie dough boards, the pursuit of crispness drove millions online. We broke down the real appeal and offered tweaks for even better results.
- Spicy Everything: Spicy honey, spicy ramen hacks, and chili crisp all reached new heights. Readers appreciated our guides to building spice in balanced, flavorful ways—no daredevil heat required.
What We Learned
Beyond chasing trends, these features uncovered what makes food go viral: multisensory appeal, relatability, and a touch of spectacle. But sustainability matters—what sticks around are the techniques, not just the TikToks.
The Culture Table: Dining Beyond Recipes
Our most-read stories about food culture explored not just what’s on our plates, but what food means in context—familial, historical, and social. In 2024, conversations about authenticity, representation, and the evolution of culinary traditions drew passionate engagement.
Highlights
- Authenticity: Whose Story Is It Anyway? One essay explored changing definitions of culinary authenticity through diaspora cooking, addressing who gets to cook—and profit from—cultural recipes.
- Fast Food, Slow Roots: Features on regional fast-food giants like Whataburger and In-N-Out reminded readers that mass-market fare has local backstories worthy of honor and nostalgia.
- Food and Identity: Essays delved into how everything from the lunchbox you carry to the restaurant you open can become a battleground or bridge in questions of heritage.
Through these stories, readers were reminded that recipes are acts of memory, and cooking is always political.
Kitchen Deep Dives: Science, History, and Technique
Our editorial dives into the technical, historical, and scientific aspects of cooking continued to be reader favorites. These features took the long view, from the origins of pantry staples to the intricacies of fermentation.
Noteworthy Articles
- Decoding the Pantry: A comprehensive guide unraveled the myriad vinegars, salts, and oils that fill kitchen shelves globally, highlighting their history and best uses.
- Fermentation Nation: This story tracked the global revival in home fermentation, with practical safety tips and the cultural roots of kimchi, sauerkraut, and more.
- Bake Like a Pro: Readers loved our detailed tutorial on the science of yeast, sourdough, and gluten, illustrated with troubleshooting charts and expert advice.
- Soup’s On: Histories of regional soups—from pho to minestrone—blended cooking technique with culture, demonstrating how a bowl can tell a bigger story.
Sample Table: Common Pantry Vinegars
| Vinegar | Origin | Flavor Profile | Best Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balsamic | Italy | Sweet, tangy, rich | Salads, marinades, reductions |
| Rice Vinegar | Asia | Mild, slightly sweet | Sushi, pickling, dipping sauces |
| Apple Cider | US/Europe | Fruity, sharp | Salads, health tonics, tangy dressings |
Personal Essays: Memories and Meaning
This year, personal storytelling truly resonated with our readers. Food memoir meets kitchen wisdom in these most popular essays, linking taste and experience to family, growth, and identity.
What others are reading
Most Beloved Essays
- Lessons in the Lunchbox: One writer’s reflection on their immigrant childhood and how a ‘different’ school lunch became a source of pride.
- The Holiday Table Revisited: A moving story about reviving lost traditions and the power of recipes to comfort after grief.
- Midlife and the Stove: An essay that celebrated discovering cooking as a means of reinvention and self-care later in life.
These stories proved that food isn’t just what we eat—it’s how we belong and remember.
Culinary Adventures: Eating Across the Map
While much of the world grappled with travel restrictions, our editorial flock ventured near and far through food, bringing readers detailed accounts of culinary landscapes—whether regional, national, or international.
Global Journeys
- Breakfasts of the World: An illuminating tour of how cultures greet the day, from Turkish menemen to Japanese tamago kake gohan.
- Regional BBQ Road Trips: Features on the pitmasters of Texas, the vibrant lechoneros of the Philippines, and the home grillers of Argentina.
- Street Food Stories: Firsthand accounts of street markets in Mexico, the night bazaars of Thailand, and the innovation of portable eats worldwide.
- Homegrown Discoveries: Pandemic-era gardening and foraging found new audiences, with foragers explaining how to transform backyard finds into seasonal feasts.
Through these pages, readers discovered how a single meal can connect you to a city, a countryside, or a new friend.
Expert Q&A: A Taste of Professional Insights
What do chefs, scientists, and cookbook authors have to teach us? Our celebrated Q&A columns delivered practical advice, career wisdom, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into culinary life.
Unforgettable Exchanges
- Science of Flavor: A food scientist broke down the magic of umami, debunking myths about MSG along the way.
- Baker’s Notebook: Star bakers shared the mistakes everyone should make (and learn from), with tips for mastering sourdough and cookies alike.
- Culinary Curiosity: Ask-the-expert columns addressed readers’ burning kitchen questions, from knife skills to how to use unfamiliar produce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which feature story was most widely read?
A: Smash burger and kitchen trend stories topped the list, but personal essays about lunchbox memories and food traditions earned passionate engagement as well.
Q: Why are food trend articles so popular?
A: They combine a sense of adventure with practical kitchen how-tos, letting readers tap into—or critique—the latest culinary conversation.
Q: Are the stories only about recipes?
A: No—most feature stories focus on the meaning, history, and culture of food, prioritizing personal and global context over simple instructions.
Q: Where can I read more?
A: Visit Serious Eats’ Features section for in-depth articles, essays, and Q&As from the past year and beyond.
Thank you to all our readers for another delicious year of stories, questions, and shared curiosity. Here’s to more to savor in the coming year!
References
Similar Articles
Read full bio of medha deb
