Updated: The 15 Most Talked-About Food Headlines in 2016

Despite the hype, nothing could have prepared Chrissy Teigen for the instant viral success of her first cookbook release, Cravings. A bestseller on Amazon and in The New York Times and featured in POPSUGAR's April Must Have box, the cookbook has inspired millions to cook. The year hasn't even ended and a second cookbook is in the works.

Chip and Joanna Gaines entered the food world more than ever in 2016. They opened Magnolia Flour, a bakery, at the Silos in Waco, TX, back in Spring. They released the first issue of a food and lifestyle magazine, The Magnolia Journal, and Chip plans on opening a breakfast restaurant later this year.

Spark Joy, the second title by bestselling author Marie Kondo of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, came out in January and has sparked an organizing movement across the world, transforming the homes (and kitchens) of people all across the world, including my very own. Devoted followers and curious folks alike want to know the secrets behind why her method works and Marie's cleaning habits, and of course, want to see all the post-KonMari eye candy.

While Starbucks often comes out with new, limited-edition flavors, its Secret Menu items (invented by fans, not the company itself) always reach new levels of virality. The two most popular so far have been the Valentine's Day menu (riffs on raspberry-flavored Frappuccinos) and the rainbow drinks, including the Pink Drink which started the whole sensation. Starbucks even did something its never done: it posted the exact orders for each rainbow drink to help baristas create consistent beverages nationwide.

Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, NY, has popularized many weird foods, like the famous Ramen Burger. But this year, all anyone wanted to talk about is the Raindrop Cake, a translucent, calorie-free, tasteless, gelatinous blob (made from seaweed "gelatin") and served with roasted soybean flour and a molasses-like sugar syrup. We tried it and we have to say that this traditional Japanese dessert is interesting in theory but doesn't have enough texture or flavor to leave us wanting more than a few bites.

There have been some pretty gruesome food recalls this year. The biggest (so far) have been Betty Crocker cake mix (in July), Starbucks's sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches (in March), General Mills flour (from May through July), and DiGiorno, Lean Cuisine, and Stouffer's frozen foods (in March).

Gwenyth Paltrow came out with her third cookbook title in the Spring, entitled It's All Easy: Delicious Weekday Recipes For the Super-Busy Home Cook. I reviewed it and praised it for helping busy people carve out time to cook at home. As a bonus to this beautiful cookbook, it is chock-full of buzzy, relevant recipes like acai bowls, chia pudding, and noodle soup (with zucchini noodles). But if you're thinking it's just a healthy person's cookbook, don't worry! There's pasta and pan-fried chicken, too (see below).

Some of the biggest headlines in 2016 have involved Rosé wine, as the variety has suddenly boomed in popularity. In April, Drew Barrymore released her own Rosé. Over the Summer, frozen Rosé, aka frosé, became the most talked-about beverage on the internet. Also over the Summer, Sugarfina released Rosé gummy bears, and the wait list for a box has grown to 12,500 people.

The Pioneer Woman and her husband, like Chip and Joanna Gaines, opened a Mercantile Shop and Deli in Pawhuska, OK. It's been a long time in the making. Ree Drummond told her fans, "From the beginning of our building project, Marlboro Man and I have had a clear vision for what it would eventually become: A mercantile store in the vein of its original identity, as well as a restaurant/deli and gathering place for both locals and visitors to our area." It's a growing trend!

The beverage that everyone is sipping this Summer is hard seltzer water, aka alcoholic sparkling water (5-6 percent) that's fruit-flavored but not sweetened whatsoever. SpikedSeltzer (released in Fall 2013), Truly (released in June), and White Claw (released in May) are the most popular brands in this category.

Though it's not new, Hello Kitty Wine became the most coveted wine label of 2016, especially for its Sweet Pink sparkling Rosé. It tastes exactly like the scent of a Sanrio store — in the bubbliest, brightest Hello Kitty way possible.

Paula Deen surprised her fans this Fall by announcing she would return to cable TV in October with the show Positively Paula. It's been three years since we've seen Paula on TV. The Southern cook also released an air fryer cookbook and will star in a cooking/shopping show called Sweet Home Savannah on Evine starting Nov. 15.

The next breakfast pastry to take over NYC (and influence the world) had to be The Bagel Store's rainbow bagels with Funfetti cream cheese. 2016 has been about viral foods that are more Instagrammable than tasty. Such is the case with the rainbow bagels. Our reviewer thought they smelled and tasted like Fruity Pebbles, and the schmear is akin to cream cheese frosting. If you can't get to NYC to taste, we created a DIY rainbow bagel recipe with legitimate butter-flavored cream cheese.

There's a growing trend happening in grocery aisles and that's "mystery flavors." Suddenly, snackers are buying food for the inherent game involved. Snackers subject their taste buds to wildcard flavors, then try to guess them correctly online. Lay's potato chips (in January) and Peeps (in March) are two brands that have been the most fun/cringeworthy, and that's the point!

In 2016, it became clear cooking shows needed a little shakeup, and VH1 delivered with a highly anticipated new TV show called Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party, starring the unlikely duo Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. It is as outrageous as the concept implies and will actually teach you how to cook things like fried chicken.