The Viral German Trend That Has Park Goers Eating Pudding With A Fork

While you might consider a spoon to be the most logical choice of cutlery with which to consume a creamy dairy dessert like pudding, there are crowds of people in Germany who would beg to differ. In a new trend that is gaining popularity throughout the country, people in Germany are gathering in public places to ceremoniously eat pudding with forks. 

That's right, rather than using a spoon, they are using forks to eat tubs or containers of store-bought pudding. The events, which are both absurd and joyful, seem to be designed to simply give citizens a break from the stress of their daily lives (and world events). Though impractical, using a fork to eat pudding may be just the trick needed to distract everyone from their problems. 

A group spokesperson in Hanover said to DPA International that the purpose of the meet-ups is to allow people to "vent in our current times." It seems to be a chance for people to enjoy a sense of community and togetherness in uncertain times, and to experience a collective sort of unburdening, taking part in an absurd ritual that has no other purpose than inciting laughter and promoting silliness. Though new, it has definitely already become one of the most bizarre food trends of all time.

While the exact origin of this viral German pudding trend isn't clear, it seems to have started as a joke. Flyers were posted throughout Karlsruhe, a southwestern German city, at the end of August, inviting residents to "come to our 'We eat pudding with a fork' meeting." No one knows who is behind the flyers, but the spirited and whimsical request was met enthusiastically. Hundreds gathered in a public park in Karlsruhe at the end of August to conduct a countdown to begin eating their pudding with forks.

Posts about the event went viral and were picked up by many meme accounts, gathering attention across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. A Hanover meeting saw over 1,000 people, while a meet-up in Vienna drew hundreds, and additional meet-ups were planned in Berlin, Hamburg, Dresden, Munich, and beyond. On TikTok, the hashtag #puddingmitgabel (pudding with fork) brings up hundreds of videos posted of Germans gathering in public places to join in on the viral trend. There don't seem to be any hard and fast rules with the trend, with some people asking if they could use knives instead of forks, and some opting to eat containers of homemade puddings like Bavarian cream.