TikTok Can’t Get Enough of Colorful Cooking Oils—but Why?

Everyone is thinking pink.

We've seen all kinds of food trends come up through TikTok: dessert bowls, cottage cheese everything, girl dinner. The latest obsession has foodies fixated on vibrant oils to cook with—but it's more than that. They're not just entertained; they're invested.

"We all want a pink oil, but we have to distinguish between water-soluble and oil-soluble pigments," Kimberly Zett said in a TikTok video that's amassed more than 2.8 million views. "Since most pink pigments in nature are only water-soluble, I am afraid it might be pretty hard to create a pink oil naturally."

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Since starting this series in April, Zett has made almost every kind of oil you could dream up, infusing different ingredients to create bright hues and innovative flavors. She's achieved orange with (you guessed it) oranges and carrots; green with jalapeño, scallion, chives, and cilantro; red with tomato and dried chilis; yellow with yellow pepper; black with vanilla; and has ended up with a colorless oil a number of times, using lavender, red onions, strawberry-coconut, garlic, and radishes.

But one color she can't seem to master is pink—and her audience is begging her for it.

The comments sections on many of her videos are flooded with followers suggesting various ingredients that could produce the color. It's sort of reminiscent of collectors making it their life's mission to check that final item off their list. In an attempt to satisfy them, Zett tried out a beetroot oil to no avail.

Related: This Pink Mayo, Barbecue, and Beetroot Sauce Makes a Case for Vibrant Condiments

"Maybe try hibiscus flower," a user wrote in a comment that's received over 12,000 likes. "I really want to see cherry oil," another said. "maybe the pink dragonfruits?" You get the idea.

"Even beetroot pigments aren't oil-soluble," Zett explains in her video. "But the main goal of these videos isn't to create pink oil or to be surprised by what's already been researched. It's about having fun experiencing it first-hand, and maybe, just maybe, for you to discover something new in the content that I'm creating."

Because the beetroot didn't add flavor or color, she blended it with blackberries and other bright ingredients and decided to put together a beautiful meal—which she does in all of her videos, with or without the help of an oil.

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"Today, we are enjoying our tasteless beetroot oil in a crispy salad with caramelized bacon, pecans, fried goat cheese, and a blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. I know it's just beetroot—but fancy."

One thing's for sure: If Zett figures out how to make pink, FoodTok will be the first to know.

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