TikTok Influencer Sparks Breakfast Soup Trend

Social media videos showcase diverse cultural traditions of savory morning soups.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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A 26-year-old Seattle-based TikTok creator, Jennifer Ying, has sparked a new trend of sharing recipes and traditions for savory breakfast soups. Her video showcasing a Chinese ginger-scallion chicken soup she grew up eating went viral, inspiring viewers to share their own cultural breakfast soup rituals in the comments, from Colombian changua to Filipino tinola. These simple, one-pot soups offer low-effort, high-reward comfort in the morning.

Why it matters

The breakfast soup trend highlights how food can nourish connections to family heritage, especially when distance or language complicate those relationships. These traditional morning soups reflect diverse cultural traditions and offer a comforting, adaptable way to start the day.

The details

In August 2025, Jennifer Ying posted a TikTok video for a Chinese ginger-scallion chicken soup she grew up eating. The video quickly went viral, racking up over a million views in just five days. Ying then made it the first in a series showcasing how to prepare soup for breakfast. In the comments, viewers shared the soups they grew up with, including Colombian changua and Filipino tinola, creating an informal archive of soup rituals that predate the internet.

  • In August 2025, Ying posted the initial TikTok video.
  • Within five days, the video had over a million views.

The players

Jennifer Ying

A 26-year-old TikTok creator based in Seattle who sparked the breakfast soup trend by posting a video of a Chinese ginger-scallion chicken soup she grew up eating.

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What they’re saying

“For Ms. Ying and others, food nourishes the connection to family heritage, especially when distance or language complicate that relationship.”

— Jennifer Ying (The New York Times)

The takeaway

The breakfast soup trend showcases how traditional morning meals can offer a comforting, adaptable way to start the day while also nourishing connections to diverse cultural heritage.