Baby boomers had prawn cocktails, millenials had avocado toast and now it seems a new generational food has emerged - as Gen Z have gone wild for all things cinnamon.
Once kept as a topping for an apple crumble or Christmas cakes, British palate's are now going wild for all things cinnamon, with dozens of cafes launching their own sweet treats and Waitrose reporting a surge of 381 per cent on searches for cinnamon buns on their website.
The upmarket retailer has launched own-brand cinnamon products than any other supermarket, with their new cinnamon bun ice-cream becoming a top five best-seller on it's first week on shelves.
Meanwhile, the it-item of the high street among cinnamon lovers is undoubtedly Ole & Steen's cinnamon social pastry filled with sweet vanilla custard and cinnamon sugar paste and topped with an icing glaze.
The product is a bestseller and has built up a cult following, with the coffee shop even offering merchandise such as cinnamon social socks for £9.95.
Meanwhile, perennial gentrification marker Gail's lists its cinnamon roll among its best sellers while last autumn, Caffè Nero also joined the long list of stores offering the popular baked good, finally putting cinnamon buns on their menu.
Supermarket aisles are now filling up with products centred around the spice, which has been described as 'comforting' and 'really versatile'.
Krispy Kreme released their cinnamon swirl doughnut which is rolled in spicy sugar while still hot and finished off with a swirl of white icing
Little Moons also released their cinnamon bun mochi at the end of last year, which has already become a hit on TikTok
In autumn, Caffè Nero also joined the long list of stores offering the popular baked good, finally putting cinnamon buns on their menu
Waitrose since expanded its range to include a new cinnamon bun ice cream, which has already gained a cult following.
'Bought this last night and ended up having half the tub before lunch time…it’s so nice,' said one fan.
Emilie Wolfman, Trend Innovation Manager at Waitrose told Femail, 'Cinnamon is having a real moment with customers, and our insight shows its very much being associated with a growing desire for warmth, comfort and nostalgia when it comes to those 'treat yourself' moments throughout the day or week.
'Cinnamon is very much a hug in food form.
'It's also a really versatile ingredient, working well across a range of sweet and savoury dishes, from curry to croissants.
'The fragrant scent of warm cinnamon is aromatic and soothing, so it's not surprising customers are looking for more ways to enjoy it and seek it out across our wide range of products and recipes.'
Cinnamon is also taking over TikTok, with Waitrose reporting that in the past week, searches for 'cinnamon raisin sourdough' surged by 142 per cent, 'cinnamon sweet potato' by 84 per cent, and 'cottage cheese cinnamon roll' by 64 per cent, revealing a powerful appetite for cinnamon-infused creations.
Brands such as Krispy Kreme and Little Moons have also hopped on the hype, introducing new products to keep up with the demand for spicy products.
Bella Hill also made a video of herself trying the 'viral' cinnamon bun mixture from Marks and Spencer
The delicious sweet treat is a staple on many menus of chain bakeries - with Gail's (left) and Ole & Steen (riht) becoming famous for their take on the sugary, buttery pastry
The cinnamon social is a bestseller and has built up a cult following, with the coffee shop even offering merchandise
The dessert chain released their cinnamon swirl doughnut which is rolled in spicy sugar while still hot and finished off with a swirl of white icing.
While it made an appearance in 2021 as a limited edition product, Krispy Kreme have now added it to the menu permanently, due to its popularity.
A TikToker, who goes by the username @theflavourdiary, tried the new fried snack and said: 'It tastes like Cinnabon in doughnut form, it's really nice. This is a ten out of ten.'
Little Moons also released their cinnamon bun mochi at the end of last year, which has already become a hit on TikTok.
Many fans of the flavour flocked into supermarkets in a bid to find the limited edition flavour, with some ranking the flavour a ten out of ten and describing the flavour as 'perfection'.
Darcie Ratcliff reviewed the new Little Moons flavour and said: 'The ice cream is delicious, it's a 10 out of 10,' before saying she wished it had been covered in white chocolate instead.
A woman who posts under the handle @curlyscooking said: 'These are good, if you like cinnamon you will like these. They're very, very nice.'
Darcie Ratcliff reviewed the new Little Moons flavour and said the ice cream was 'delicious'
Waitrose since expanded its range to include a new cinnamon bun ice cream, which has been on the shelf for a week and has already made it into their top five best selling tubs
Shoppers also went wild for All Things Butter's cinnamon bun butter, which was created by Great British Bake-Off finalist Ruby Bhogal.
Co-founder Toby Hopkinson said in January: 'The cinnamon flavour is outselling all our other products, and we're working hard to keep up with demand.
'We've seen a huge appetite for cinnamon this year.
'Our sweet butter captures that nostalgic, comforting taste and has been created with foodies in mind who love trying bold, exciting flavours as part of their everyday routines.'
The butter is made with cinnamon, sugar, and a hint of lemon and fans have been raving about the product, with some adding it to toast, pancakes and even their cinnamon buns.
'I kept seeing this all over my For You page on TikTok and I thought this sounded amazing,' said foodie Hannah Marling, as she added it to a grilled crumpet before rating it an eight out of 10.
Shoppers also went wild for All Things Butter's cinnamon bun butter, which was created by Great British Bake-Off finalist Ruby Bhogal
The butter is made with cinnamon, sugar, and a hint of lemon and fans have been raving about the product
Upon her first bite of the M&S buns Bella described the dessert as 'bussin,' a popular slang word among Gen Z which translates to 'extremely good or excellent'
Another person, who goes by the username @bintzoor, posted a clip of them enjoying the spread on their toast before writing: 'Cinnamon bun butter, I'm in love.'
Bella Hill also made a video of herself trying the 'viral' cinnamon bun mixture from Marks and Spencer.
Upon her first bite, Bella described the dessert as 'bussin,' a popular slang word among Gen Z which translates to 'extremely good or excellent.'
However, it's not just cinnamon flavoured food products that have become viral this year, as 'cinnamon roll makeup' also became a trend popularised by Hailey Bieber.
During autumn last year, using eyeshadow that had caramel and chocolate hues were on trend, along with wearing nude lipsticks and warm tone makeup.
Hailey's beauty brand Rhode also launched the Cinnamon Roll Peptide Lip Tint at the end of November.
