Why Unicorn Food Is The Latest Millennial Obsession

If you’ve scrolled through Instagram, gone shopping or just been a human being with Internet connection recently, then you’ve probably realized unicorns are having a serious moment right now. 

Things you can find inspired by unicorns include everything from makeup to footwear to hairstyles. And now, the trend has also officially taken over the food we eat.

 

For the unaware: “Unicorn food” is any item jazzed up with sparkly, brightly colored dye or accessories, and the highly committed may even add a horn, ears or a mane made of sculpted sugar. 

Unicorn foods are beginning to pop up at cafés and bakeries across the world and are becoming a mainstay of all sorts of wellness Instagram accounts. Even Starbucks jumped on board— a sure sign of peak trend.

 

So, why the sudden obsession with these photo-documentable, Lisa Frank-esque foods? Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute, told Man Repeller there’s a reason we’re obsessing over these rainbow brights right now. “Bright shades are happy – they make us smile,” she says. “These colors in foods…imply a sense of fun and levity. Engaging and inviting, they bring us back to a time when things were simpler and playfully innocent.”   

There’s just something striking about synthetic-looking colors matched with actual, edible food. It’s fun. It’s playful. And there’s absolutely no way you can eat a unicorn cupcake while frowning. So, order that unicorn Frappuccino and enjoy it. Most importantly, don’t forget to take a picture for Instagram.