What On Earth Is A Rat Snack Anyway?

Among other things, TikTok is notorious for taking something that already exists, rebranding it with a trendy spin, and letting it loose for fellow TikTokers to spread across the internet like wildfire. This is especially prevalent when it comes to food — be it recipes, hacks, or peculiar behaviors.

We all remember TikTok food trends like the famous baked feta pasta and whipped coffee that took over our social media feeds. Or unexpected hacks like the tortilla folding trend and even the "healthy coke" made with balsamic vinegar. There was cloud bread and the salmon rice bowl, then pasta chips and pancake spaghetti. And now, welcome to the platform's newest viral sensation: The "rat snack".

If your FYP hasn't made it to rat snack TikTok yet, or you simply have no idea what we're talking about and why these words are being put together, this article is for you. It's time to sink your teeth into the latest trend and have a nibble.

The rat snack is aptly named; once you realize what it is, you wonder how it could be called anything else. It's essentially the act of throwing together a quick, impulsive, weird snack that consists of a strange combination of whatever you can get your hands on. Maybe it's an odd food pairing you've always sworn by, or maybe you just invented it out of a moment of pure, ravenous hunger.

Almonds dipped in a tub of Funfetti icing? Chip soup? Pickles and peanut butter? A leftover baked potato topped with sliced cheese and a packet of Taco Bell fire sauce? Truly anything goes, at any time of day. When hunger strikes and you don't have the time or the energy to put together a respectable plate of food, it's the rat snack to the rescue.

It's what TikTok influencers refer to as "unhinged" snacking and what The Cut calls "goblin mode." It's a chaotic, rat-like form of satiating; the ultimate act of scrounging. A quirky creation that's uniquely yours, and one to be weirdly proud of.

This is a snacking concept that people everywhere have engaged in inside their own kitchens, long before TikTok made it "a thing." We've all been there in that desperate moment, hunched over the door of our refrigerator as we survey the contents for anything remotely edible. So why is it going viral?

Part of the fun of TikTok is that you never really know what's going to resonate with people and really take off. But dubbed with a viral-worthy name and feeding into the every day platform users' desire to relate to each other in real and quirky ways — the rat snack fits the bill perfectly to blow up into a popular trend that people can't wait to share their own take on.

TikTok influencer and registered dietician Abbey Sharp of @AbbeysKitchen explains to Bustle that this trend is becoming so popular because it's easier for people to grab a pickle and a slice of cheese than it is to make an elaborate smoothie bowl you'll find on Instagram. People relate to rat-snacking, either because it's something they already do themselves, or because it's something that's accessible and attainable. And according to Sharp, "people aren't interested in hyper-stylized content, they want what's genuine, they want relatability."