Why China's Gen Z Is Obsessed with Carbonara and Ice Cream

The Editors, 21.01.2026

"xiexiu" is the latest trend inspiring young Chinese people. It's all about unconventional life hacks to make everyday life easier. The trend has given rise to a number of culinary specialties—including carbonara with ice cream.

China’s youth are sharing wild life hacks under the hashtag xiexiu on social media—a term meaning “heretical” practice, borrowed from YA novels about cunning villains who bend rules for gain, per Die Zeit. Once negative, it’s been reclaimed as a playful antidote to daily stress.

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Why China's Gen Z Is Obsessed with Carbonara and Ice Cream