I received over 6000 hateful comments for this one recipe, cheese cola, and felt so numb after that

the irony is that it's not even my recipe and I'm just trying a trend

Dear friend,

A few weeks ago, I pitched an idea to Buzzfeed Tasty. I recently saw videos of slices of cheese submerged into cola before being microwaved. The result is a “creamy soda” with a salty cheese foam on top, reminiscent of cheese foam boba tea.

buzzfeedtasty

A post shared by @buzzfeedtasty

I love experimenting in the kitchen and thought people online would appreciate seeing the cheese fizz in the soda, then react with the heat and dissipating carbonation in the microwave. I mean, if you grew up watching Bill Nye the Science Guy like I did, you’d probably appreciate my reel. I honestly did not like the drink and so I offered my own spin, a version that reminded me of root beer floats: whipped cream topped with parmesan cheese over iced soda.

Instead of any fascination, curiosity, or appreciation, moments after Buzzfeed Tasty posted my “cheese cola” reel, trolls and haters flooded in, leaving the standard, “here she is, officer,” “jail time,” and dozens of barfy-face emojis. Whatever, those types of comments are the standard on viral reels. But then I also got comments like, “it’s the death penalty for you,” “your bloodline should end,” “of course a Ling Ling did this,” “that’s why there’s COVID,” “You Asians are odd,” and “first bat soup, now cheese coke?”

Preorder my latest cookbook, “108 Asian Cookies,” today!

Some comments were also horrifically violent, detailing how my womb should become infertile, or that I should trip on my face and break all my teeth. So many people flat-out commented how much they hated me and how I should cease to exist.

After blocking a few people and reporting some comments, I just stopped. Too many comments flowed in and I told myself that such hate is a reflection on them and not on me, and a society becoming more and more unhinged, mean, and unchecked online. And while I don’t let cyberbullying online faze me, much at least, it was quite hurtful to receive thousands upon thousands of hateful, trolling comments. What bothered me the most, however, was to read the vile, snarky comments intended to rain more shit on me from fucking fellow content creators, like lilsipper, whom I used to follow. She has some out-there recipes and not once have I ever thought of leaving a mean or nasty comment on her feed.

There’s a difference between gentle trolling and roasting, which I don’t mind and actually have a good laugh about it. In fact, even Kraft Singles, Snickers, Wrigley’s Gum, and Cheez-It roasted me on my reel and I had a good laugh. I even commend the brands’ diabolical social media managers for brilliantly promoting these processed-to-hell-crap that Americans happily eat on the daily 🙃.

angryasianwomxn

A post shared by @angryasianwomxn

Anytime a video goes viral online, the trolls come out of the woods, but I do have to wonder, is it just me who gets the meanest, nastiest, most racist and misogynist comments online?

For example, a white woman recently took my chocolate rice video idea and recipe without crediting me and while I received thousands of negative comments for my original video, the only “nasty” comments she received were from people calling her out for content thievery and appropriation. Can you feel me rolling my eyes right now?

katlieu

A post shared by @katlieu

I can’t imagine how younger people would feel, reading such nasty comments online, if they’re young content creators. For this reason, I never put my son online and will encourage him not to use social media.

Since I need to market my cookbooks and build my brand, I can’t help but continue to use social media, and turn a blind eye on the hateful comments.

And here’s my truth: while the hate may be loud and numbing, my love for creating and experimenting is louder. Every hateful comment, every racist jab, every vile message only fuels my passion to push boundaries and share my unique vision. I JUST WANT TO BE LOUDER.

To my supporters who remind me why I do this, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Amidst all this loud hate, I got a pleasant surprise! Even without marketing my latest cookbook, “108 Asian Cookies,” it briefly landed on the TOP NEW RELEASE spot on Amazon! If you want to show this Asian writer and content creator some love, please preorder the book because it will really mean the world to me as a budding recipe developer and food writer!

And to those who choose hate, guess what? Your noise fades in the background of a community that values creativity, authenticity, and kindness. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll keep making weird, wonderful recipes and celebrating the odd, unapologetic beauty of food (and life), one experiment at a time. I WILL ALWAYS BE A PROUD AND LOUD ASIAN WOMAN VERY VISIBLY ONLINE.

Stay bold, stay curious, and let’s rise above the hate together, dear friend!

PS: If you want the cheese cola recipe, here it is:

Ingredients:

1 can of cola
2 slices of American cheese

Preparation:

1. Add the cola to a microwave-safe glass, then add the cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. If you don’t see any cheese foam, you will need to microwave the cheese cola for a little longer. Let cool for a few minutes.

2. Give it a good stir, and add ice before enjoying. Alternatively, the Kat Lieu way is to to add whipped cream to iced cola, then top the cream with some parmesan cheese, give it all a good stir, and enjoy.

XOXOXO,

Kat Lieu