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The Best Food Twitter Wars Of The Decade

From controversial opinions to fast-food brand feuds, these food battles defined the 2010s.
By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

The past decade was full of interesting food trends, from the rise of meal-kit delivery services to the Sriracha craze. But perhaps the most entertaining development in the food world was the rise of Twitter food wars.

During the 2010s, many Twitter users shared controversial food opinions that sparked heated debates (Think: Pineapple belongs on pizza). Additionally, fast-food brands like Wendy’s and Burger King duked it out with big Twitter “feuds.”

As 2019 comes to a close, we’ve rounded up some of the best Twitter food wars of the decade. Enjoy this culinary trip down memory lane.

1
Did You Really Eat Pizza If You Didn't Eat The Crust?
Sir Patrick Stewart posed this question on Twitter in May 2015 and received mixed responses. While many hailed the value and deliciousness of pizza crusts, others insisted they're simply handles to be discarded or even "pizza bones."
2
Does Ice Belong In Cereal?
In June 2015, a Twitter user shared a photo of Lucky Charms in a bowl with milk and ice cubes and asked if others eat their cereal this way. Most seemed to object to the concept, but some people said they like to add ice to keep the milk cold.
3
Do Peas Belong In Guacamole?
In July 2015, The New York Times published a guacamole recipe that included green peas. Many people registered their opinions on this approach, including President Barack Obama, who vehemently opposed the choice of ingredient.
4
Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich?
The "Is a hot dog a sandwich?" question dates back to before 2015, but in November of that year, the debate took hold on Twitter. The discussion sparked such questions as: Does any filling in between bread constitute a sandwich? And by that logic, what else counts as a sandwich?
Throughout the subsequent years, the debate reignited thanks to pot-stirrers like Merriam-Webster, and even food experts remain at odds.
5
Does Wendy's Or Burger King Win The Clapback Game?
After Wendy's shared a promotional tweet about its "4 for $4" meal offering in January 2016, Burger King sent out a rather blatant subtweet with a "5 for $4" option "because 5 is better than 4." Wendy's fired back, and thus a Twitter feud was born. Wendy's has engaged in Twitter battles with many other fast-food brands, including McDonald's and Carl's Jr.
6
What's The Proper Utensil For Mac 'n' Cheese?
In August 2016, writer Sam H. Escobar surveyed Twitter users about their choice of utensil for eating mac 'n' cheese. Over 20% of the nearly 13,500 voters selected "spoon," leading to a major outcry.
7
Should Butter Go In The Fridge?
Although this debate cropped up on Twitter before 2017, a poll in January of that year turned the question of "Should butter go in the fridge?" into a trending topic.
8
Where Should Ketchup Be Stored?
A viral tweet in February 2017 reignited the great debate around where to store ketchup — the pantry or the refrigerator. Though people have strong opinions, it seems the answer comes down to a matter of personal preference.
9
Are Edge Piece Brownies The Best Or Worst?
Some people love edge piece brownies so much that there's even a special pan to help maximize this option. Others consider this product to be an utter nightmare. Writer Mathew Rodriguez sparked a debate about the best version of the sweet treat on Twitter in February 2017.
10
Is Pineapple An Acceptable Pizza Topping?
Pizza-lovers have long debated the acceptability of pineapple as a topping, so it makes sense that it would dominate the Twittersphere as well. In February 2017, the president of Iceland even weighed in by suggesting the option be banned.
11
Are Peeps Trash?
Peeps are up there with candy corn in terms of controversial holiday sweets. So naturally, people have tweeted their strong feelings about the Easter treat. In March 2017, Peeps lovers and haters were up in arms responding to a viral tweet describing the best way to eat them: throwing them in the trash.
12
What Are The Correct French Fry Rankings?
Editor Maurice Peebles ignited a heated debate in June 2017 when he tweeted his rankings of french fry cuts. The debate touched on the merits of curly fries, the underratedness of steak fries, and more.
13
Are Pop-Tarts A Type Of Ravioli?
Piggybacking off the many "Is XYZ a sandwich?" debates, writer Ellen McGrody tweeted another controversial food debate — whether Pop-Tarts are a type of ravioli. This July 2017 discussion even led to the question of whether Pop-Tarts are sandwiches as well.
14
Which Breakfast Spot Is The 'OG'?
In July 2017, IHOP and Denny’s engaged in a little Twitter feud over which chain is the “original gangster” of pancakes. Many users declared IHOP (or rather, its social media team) the winner of the back-and-forth.
15
Can Avocado Go In Mac 'n' Cheese?
A healthy food-oriented Twitter account posted a video of an avocado mac 'n' cheese recipe in August 2017, and people did not take kindly to it.
16
Is Candy Corn Delicious Or Terrible?
The great candy corn debate unsurprisingly made its way to Twitter in the 2010s. In September 2017, Twitter users declared their allegiances as Halloween approached, and needless to say, there was a solid mix of lovers and haters.
17
Where Does The Cheese Go On A Burger?
In October 2017, writer Thomas Baekdal tweeted about the difference in cheese placement on Google's and Apple's burger emoji. The tweet prompted a discussion on the correct order of ingredients when making burgers.
18
Does DiGiorno Beat Papa John's?
DiGiorno engaged in a Twitter war against Papa John's in November 2017. The frozen pizza brand criticized the pizza delivery chain's claims that NFL player protests affected its business and pushed back against attacks on its grocery store product.
19
What's The Right Way To Make A PB&J?
In June 2018, Twitter user Lexie Ebensberger asked people to vote on the proper way to make a PB&J: "bread then peanut butter, jelly on top on peanut butter then bread" or "bread then peanut butter, jelly on other piece of bread and place together." It quickly became clear that the public is rather divided on this issue.
20
Are Drums Or Flats Better?
Fans of chicken wings got into it over the merits of drums vs. flats in July 2018. For many, it was a question of quality vs. quantity. In December 2019, another wings-related discussion took hold on Twitter as people debated the proper amount of meat to eat.
21
Is It Criminal To Dip Chicken Fingers In Soda?
At the U.S. Open in September 2018, a young woman named Alexa Greenfield was filmed dipping a chicken finger in soda, which sparked outrage on Twitter and even garnered a bit of support.
22
What Is Optimal Marshmallow Roasting?
Writer Yashar Ali tweeted a photo showing a spectrum of marshmallows from unroasted to totally burnt in July 2019 and declared which demonstrated the proper level of roasting. Twitter users disagreed, with some preferring to increase the charring for their s'mores, while others supported a less-cooked variety.
23
Does Popeyes Or Chick-fil-A Make A Better Chicken Sandwich?
When Popeyes introduced a fried chicken sandwich in August 2019, the fast-food chain set off a debate that dominated Twitter: Chick-fil-A vs. Popeyes.
24
Is Ketchup For Smothering Or Dipping?
A member of the British band The Vamps ignited a Twitter debate about the proper way to use ketchup. In August 2019, he tweeted, "never trust someone that covers their food in ketchup." His followers chimed in with their opinions on dipping chicken nuggets in ketchup vs. covering them with the condiment.
25
Does Old Bay Belong On Grits?
In December 2019, a clip from Vice’s "The Noisey Questionnaire of Life" went viral on Twitter. In it, rappers Young Dolph and Key Glock react to the host declaring that he puts Old Bay Seasoning on grits. Many decried the move, but others jumped to his defense, noting that it at least sounds better than sugar on grits.
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