For Gen Z, eating and drinking are multi-sensory experiences.
While the young demographic has garnered a lot of attention for its love for bold flavors and unexpected mashups, including its desire to turn everything into a sauce, Gen Z is also drawn to unique textures.
“Put simply, playing with textures makes eating more fun and memorable. For Gen Z, it’s not just about taste; it’s about the full experience,” said Brian Brown, president and partner at Ingredient.
So, which textures top Gen Z’s list?
Soft and Chewy
In a recent survey by Collage Group, 63.4% of Gen Z respondents said they enjoy soft textures in sweet snacks, while 58% love chewy ones.
To capitalize on these preferences, My/Mochi recently launched Mochi Ice Cream Sandwiches – mochi ice cream balls sandwiched between two soft cookies – an innovation the brand says is inspired by Gen Z’s love for multi-textured, joyful eating experiences.
“Products like mochi ice cream sandwiches hit the sweet spot by combining creamy, chewy, and cold in one bite, creating a joyful sensory experience Gen Z finds irresistible,” said Jack Mackinnon, senior director of cultural insights at Collage.
After Maricel Gentile, chef and owner of Maricel’s Kitchen in New Jersey, noticed how deeply textures were resonating with Gen Z, she and her son, Paul Martin Gentile, co-founded Boba Haven LBI.
She also launched anime-inspired cooking classes at Maricel’s Kitchen a few years ago at the suggestion of her two sons, who both love bubble tea, mochi, and “all things from Asia – especially Japan,” giving her a front row seat for how Gen Z is “shaping the future of food through curiosity, creativity, and cultural connection.”
“Gen Z grew up with K-pop, anime, and reviews of ramen shops on TikTok. They’re hungry for authenticity,” Gentile told FI.
“But what’s really exciting is how textures are a big part of that experience – chewy, jiggly, gooey, crunchy, stretchy. Whether it’s a chewy tapioca boba ball or bowl of ramen with that perfect egg, they love when food feels fun and interactive.”
Speaking of that perfect egg…
Jiggly and Jammy
Jammy eggs – AKA eggs that are cooked until their whites are fully set and their yolks are partially set, giving them a jam-like texture – have moved from a ramen topping to a mainstream sensation in their own right.
“Jammy eggs are literally taking over my whole algorithm,” Keke Palmer, host of the NBC game show Password, told Scott Evans, host of the YouTube series House Guest.
“Everything I look at is jammy eggs – jammy eggs on toast, jammy eggs on rice, just jammy eggs.”
Crunchy and Crispy
In the Collage survey, 41.5% of participants said they favor crispy experiences.
“Gen Z has grown up with highly visual and engaging food content at their fingertips, so to keep their attention now, food needs another layer: crunch,” said Riley Baird, executive development chef at Lamb Weston.
“Crispy and crunchy combinations drive Gen Z’s cravings and, therefore, purchase behavior,” Baird said.
A recent poll Lamb Weston conducted via social media revealed that 64% of Gen Zers still choose classic and crispy fries as their go-to, despite the endless options they have at their disposal.
“While bold, over-the-top fries rack up views online, this data shows consumers are ordering familiar formats that deliver on texture and nostalgia. Social media is a real-time focus group for what consumers want, and with #crunchy garnering 3.4 million posts on Instagram, it’s obvious that texture is a leading driver when it comes to food preferences,” added Baird.
“For operators, LTOs anchored in crispy classics, focusing on texture rather than complicated flavor formats, are more likely to resonate with core audiences like Gen Z, who are chronically online and align with snackable content that creates a multi-sensory moment.”
