"She's an actual chef and grew up in the South?" — Tini Mac and Cheese recipe controversy explained as netizens come out in her defense 

Chef Tineke Younger, best known as Tini online, has caused a stir following the release of her macaroni and cheese recipe. The dish went viral for its unique ingredients and laborious prep, which has subsequently led to her receiving criticism online. Meanwhile, ardent followers defended her and praised her for her education in fine dining.

The controversial recipe, originally shared on TikTok in November 2023, has amassed over 20 million views. The dish, requiring two and a half pounds of hand-grated Colby Jack, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese, resurfaced online, sparking debate over the creator’s cooking skills. Using Cavatappi instead of standard elbow macaroni also fueled online reactions.

Some also believed that Tini had culturally appropriated mac and cheese.

Some critics, like X user @HenriettaSnacks, who has amassed over 25,000 followers on the social networking site, encouraged netizens to block Tini. The netizen stated:

“If y’all haven’t blocked that white woman trying to teach us how to make our own mac and cheese, that is on you.”

Some internet users opined that Tini was getting criticized online purely because of her race and not because of the dish itself, as critics had opined that the recipe was incredibly flavorful. Parade website’s food critic also shared their favorable review after making the recipe themselves. The website read:

“I’m not here to sell you a bridge or a dream, but this is without a doubt the best mac and cheese I’ve ever made. I really wish that this recipe hadn’t already broken the internet so I could pretend to be some sort of mac and cheese expert to my family and friends.”

Meanwhile, other defenders of Tini wrote online:

Several others expressed similar sentiments, with them stating that the recipe was actually well put together in reality. Comments read:

“I see her videos on my feed every so often. It all looks amazing! And she seems a fun person,” an X user said.

“Wait. Tini from Next Level Chef? Oh, heck no. Don't be coming for her. She was so sweet on the show. She would not have gotten that far in the competition with Gordon if she had no skills,” a platform user commented.

“How is this controversial? Since when is mac & cheese supposed to taste like anything except pasta, cheese and butter? That’s why it’s good,” another internet user said.

As mentioned above, many opined that not only was the supposed complexity of the recipe an issue, but it was also perceived as cultural appropriation, as many stated that mac and cheese was “Black food.” Meanwhile, other reactions read:

“Stop it. Mac n Cheese is as American as apple pie,” an X user said.

“I watched her vid and the recipe is very similar to one I do where I add pulled pork and it is straight fire. Ppl are so ridiculous making it a race thing. No one “owns” Mac and cheese lol,” another internet user said.

“Tini is America's sweetheart tbh that woman can cook and she's been beloved by the black community for years,” a netizen said.

Several netizens opined that fellow internet users did not have to make the controversy a prejudicial issue. Comments read:

“All Tini slander is unwarranted. They’re jealous losers who can’t cook,” an X user said.

“Since when did Mac n cheese become black coded,” a platform user said.

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“I never lack flavor” — Tini takes to X to respond to criticism

For those uninitiated, Tineke Younger is a social media chef who rose to popularity after appearing on the second season of Next Level Chef. She managed to bag the eighth spot on the show and has been mentored by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey. She boasts a massive following of over seven million followers on her TikTok account.

After becoming subjected to controversy online, she took to her X account on November 4 to respond to a critic of the mac and cheese recipe who stated- “Missing steps, dry and lacking flavor. 6/10,” on X. While sharing a clip of a tempting cheese pull of the mac and cheese she made, Tini responded:

“What about this says dry?? Also I never lack flavor.”

The tweet amassed over 14 million views, with many showing her support online.

Several followers adore the Frederick, Maryland native’s enthusiastic energy and her videos, which are oftentimes humorous. Tini had amassed over a million followers on Instagram at the time of writing this article.