TikTok - the land of questionable "life hacks" and "dance routines" that no sane person would ever use in real life - has just given us new fodder to write about that's about as entertaining as standing in line at the DMV. I'm sure I'll regret that statement next week and pray for boring when my kid uncovers a newer trend that needs to quickly be explained as something that could pose a threat to himself or others (social media really is awesome, isn't it?). Anywho, right now hundreds of people can be found on the potentially soon-to-be-banned platform gnawing on whole lemons like rabid squirrels.
'Whyyyy?" you ask. Because TikToker @Lalaleluu - a popular gal with a charming smile and 5.6 million followers - stumbled upon some fancy pants lemons from Italian company Lemon Snack and posted that ish on her page. This isn't your average bag of Costco fruit, however. These little gems are specially grown to be lower in acid, have less pith, and a thinner, "edible" peel (I thought all lemon peels were edible??). Lala can be seen biting the end off the lemon like cucumber before exclaiming, "it IS a snackable lemon - that is so awesome!"
Since her original post just three weeks ago, she's posted with the lemons twice more, racking up nearly 14 million views between the three of them. She's German, so she's got separate accounts piling up views in Deutschland, as well. It feels like Lemon Snack should be paying this little lady to help bring these yellow baddies to stores across the U.S. because, apparently, they haven't found their way to 'Merica just yet.
@lalaleluu LEMON SNACK LEMON SNACK LEMON SNACK ♬ original sound - Lala
Enter the U.S. TikTok universe, largely made up of both legit and would-be influencers simply chomping on regular lemons for likes. We've got people subbing in lemonquats (did you know that was a thing??) and even pairing lemon slices with pickled ginger, turning this "trend" into a simple series of tips on how to pair lemons with other foods to eat them whole.
"There's something about this combination that just makes my eye twitch, and it's so good," says @suciia333 of her lemon and ginger combo.
I love lemons and cook with them almost daily - peels and all. Would I eat Snackable Lemons if they made it to the U.S.? Absolutely. Maybe I'll even suss them out on my upcoming Italian excursion this summer. As for this TikTok situation, maybe I'm missing something, but waiting for some chick's eye to twitch from a little lemon and ginger - why is this a thing? It's a lemon, not a puffer fish. This "trend" is a bit of a bore in my book.