5 Asian Bites Breaking the Internet
By Kelli Luu | 14 Jun, 2025

With fiery noodles and duck embryos, these five traditional Asian street snacks have been turned into global obsessions.

These 5 Asian foods are going crazy viral and here’s why.

Number 1: Raw Marinated Crab

Also called ganjang gejang, Korean raw marinated crab has everyone on the internet drooling, but also a little grossed out. These soft shell crabs are drenched in a yummy soy sauce or gochujang mixture that makes them sweet, salty, and spicy. Mukbang and dramatic squeezing of the crab shells made this messy dish a popular seafood flex on TikTok. 

Number 2: Mango Sticky Rice

After Thai popstar Milli was seen eating this national dessert at Coachella, suddenly everyone was intrigued by the combo. The sweetness of the coconut-infused sticky rice and a slice of a ripe mango can get quite addicting and people started to realize that on TikTok. It’s another perfect mukbang meal and has mouths watering from all the viral “first bite” videos. 

Number 3: Tanghulu 

This traditional Chinese fruit snack has made its way to the United States with its signature crunch creating a full sensory experience. The fruit is covered in a crystal clear sugar coating making this treat easy to make at home. But for those who don’t want to make a sugar mess in their kitchen, street vendors in busy cities have popped up, capitalizing off of the millions of crunch filled TikToks. 

Number 4: Buldak Spicy Noodles

Ramen may already be a popular quick meal in the States, but the Buldak Spicy Noodles blew up on TikTok. This stir-fry ramen was different from the more known Cup Noodle as it was more of a creamy ramen than a broth. These fire noodles started to become a challenge on the internet as people were filming themselves attempting to finish the entire pack of noodles. Although Buldak packs are making TikTokers sweat, scream, and cry, they’re delicious and people love watching others slurp their noodles and beat the pain. 

Number 5: Balut

The scariest, but most intriguing of viral Asian foods. This fertilized duck egg is boiled, slurped, then eaten whole. Curiosity has gotten the best of many as Westerners are trying balut as a challenge shocking their viewers. The quick snack has people wincing through their phones at others chowing down on the  entire duck embryo, but for some it’s a beloved street snack in many Asian countries like the Philippines and Vietnam. It has become a controversial debate, but the reactions have gone viral.