The New Age of Culinary Seduction: When Cooking Gets Hot

In today’s digital landscape, a new breed of chef is sizzling up more than just gourmet meals. These culinary heartthrobs are transforming cooking demonstrations into sensual performances, garnering millions of followers who tune in as much for the eye candy as for the food. With strategically unbuttoned shirts (or no shirts at all), suggestive food handling, and playful banter, these chefs have discovered that combining culinary expertise with sex appeal is a recipe for viral success. What began as simple cooking tutorials has evolved into content that blurs the lines between food preparation and seduction, creating a genre that’s equal parts educational and entertaining – and undeniably captivating audiences worldwide.

New Zealand’s Daniel Rankin, known online as “Man Can Cook NZ,” exemplifies this trend with his irreverent, often shirtless cooking videos featuring his scene-stealing pug, Fraser. The 31-year-old former gym owner insists he never planned to create “thirst trap” content, but naturally evolved his approach as he noticed what resonated with viewers. Whether he’s pouring coconut milk over his bare chest while lip-syncing to “Milkshake” or preparing lasagna in sensual slow-motion to Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” Rankin’s self-aware performances have attracted over 1.5 million followers across platforms. His inbox regularly fills with explicit messages and OnlyFans requests (which he politely declines), and he’s more frequently recognized in New York City than in his native New Zealand. “When you’re sexy and funny, it’s just a different vibe,” Rankin explains, preferring to keep his content vulnerable and comedic rather than serious.

Gianluca Conte, the self-proclaimed “Pasta King,” brings a different energy to the culinary social media scene. The former Alexander Wang underwear model turned his pandemic cooking videos into a booming enterprise with more than 16 million followers. At 26, the Los Angeles-based content creator is known for his frantic, provocative style, frequently appearing shirtless save for an apron emblazoned with his catchphrase “betch” – which he uses to punctuate his videos with a spirited “Bon appetito, betch!” His globe-trotting demonstrations have taken him from the Empire State Building to the Colosseum in Rome, and his collaborations include cooking alongside celebrities like Will Smith. As the son of a Charlotte restaurant owner, Conte’s enthusiasm for over-the-top, diet-busting creations (like guzzling olive oil straight from the bottle) has established him as a standout personality in the food entertainment sphere.

Chef Ronnie Woo brings a unique background to his sensual culinary persona. The 40-year-old Los Angeles-based private chef boasts an unusual résumé: former model, holder of two master’s degrees (in marriage and family therapy and business administration), and now beloved food personality. His company, “The Delicious Cook,” has flourished alongside his television appearances, including memorable segments with Jenna Bush Hager, Tiffany Haddish, and a particularly eyebrow-raising demonstration with Kevin Hart during the 2022 Winter Olympics. Woo’s modeling experience fostered his comfort with showing skin on camera, though he maintains certain boundaries: “I try to keep certain parts of my body private, and only designated for my husband’s consumption,” he says, referencing his longtime spouse, Doug. His in-your-face personality, initially considered too blunt for his planned career as a relationship therapist, has found a perfect outlet in the kitchen, where his cheeky charm and culinary skills form an irresistible combination.

Australian baker Anthony Randello Jahn has taken the suggestive cooking video to new heights as the “Donut Daddy.” Named “High Quality Content Creator of the Year” at the 2025 Australian TikTok Awards, the 33-year-old Melbourne entrepreneur crafts videos filled with innuendo: dough being slapped into submission, stand mixers caressed by strong hands, and mouths plunging into juicy fruits. His upcoming cookbook, subtitled “Sugar & seduction in 69 recipes,” playfully asks, “Is your donut hole ready to get glazed?” While Jahn’s beautifully crafted treats demonstrate genuine skill (he previously launched donut shops and dessert bars in Melbourne), viewers primarily tune in for the spectacle of the chef swimming, showering, playing piano shirtless, and preparing breakfast while the camera lingers on his muscled forearms. Despite the overtly suggestive nature of his content, Jahn aims to maintain a certain aesthetic standard: “I want to try and keep it sexy and sophisticated,” he explains, careful not to cross into territory he considers “tacky.”

In contrast to his bare-chested counterparts, Zachary Rodriguez has built his following of 1.8 million fans by keeping the focus firmly on his delectable dishes rather than himself. The Austin, Texas, resident creates content celebrating his Mexican heritage, having published a cookbook titled “My Mexican Favorites” with 60 traditional recipes from tacos to chilaquiles verdes. Though Rodriguez doesn’t typically showcase his physique on social media, the ginger-bearded chef isn’t opposed to the idea, as demonstrated by a recent photoshoot featuring him grilling shirtless in a cowboy hat. Despite his more reserved approach, Rodriguez still attracts plenty of admiring comments from female followers – much to the occasional chagrin of his girlfriend Selena, whom he met on Hinge with the opening line, “I’d cook for you every day.” Rodriguez takes the attention in stride: “It’s crazy, you know? I would have never thought I was somebody all these girls loved in the comments,” he says with a chuckle. His girlfriend sometimes responds to the most forward advances, creating what Rodriguez describes as “good fun” in their relationship.