This year, some people are preparing to consume 12 grapes as the clock chimes 12 times at midnight on New Year’s Eve — an old ritual with roots in Spain that is finding new life on TikTok. Videos touting the superstition are circulating (the hashtag #12grapes has 11.5 million views), and in the remix-happy spirit of the social media platform, the practice of eating grapes is getting mashed up with a host of other good luck incantations. Some people are planning to eat their grapes while sitting under tables. Others are planning to wear red underwear, which is actually a part of the Spanish lore.
Some people have posted videos of the partners they claim to have snagged after participating in the ritual, as proof that it works. Others are offering tips on how to accomplish the feat of ingesting a dozen fruits in the span that it takes a clock to chime (small, seedless varieties are the best bet, apparently).
We can’t scientifically verify their luck-and-love-inducing qualities, but for anyone looking to incorporate grapes into their New Year’s Eve plans, we’ve got a handful of sweet and savory dishes that feature the fruit.
Although they’re all mouthwatering, we don’t necessarily recommend shoving a dozen in at once.
Roasted Feta With Grapes and Olives
Our readers love Ali Slagle’s appetizer, which is like a cheeseboard gone all melty on you — in the best way possible. Get the recipe.
Marinated Feta and Grape Skewers
These bracing one-bite snacks combine briny cheese bathed in a lemony marinade with a burst of sweet fruit. A mint leaf adds an extra bit of freshness to an app that won’t weigh down your guests before a decadent dinner. Get the recipe.
These truffle-like little snacks are coated in melted chocolate and dusted with cocoa. They’d be nice before or after a meal. Get the recipe.
My colleague Becky Krystal’s no-recipe snack is so simple: just grapes tossed in a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Using different colored fruit makes them even prettier. Get the kinda-recipe.
