Brian Nagele
Set off on a gastronomic journey as we explore the fascinating realm of unusual food pairings that challenge our perceptions of taste. We’ll test your palate with unusual pairings in this gastronomic adventure, which may easily become your new culinary passion. These culinary innovations defy conventional preferences with their strange flavor fusions and seemingly odd ingredient marriages. Prepare to have your assumptions about food challenged as we explore a world where the unexpected is enjoyed and the odd is embraced. Get ready for an enjoyable voyage of exploration, where the strangest pairings may surprise you with unexpected flavors.
Butter and Sugar Sandwiches
Bread and butter is the oldest pairing in the book, and there’s nothing tastier than a creamy spread of fat over a piping hot slice of fresh bread. Since sugar, butter, and bread are the main ingredients in French toast, I could see its potential as a raw take on classic French toast.
Vanilla Ice Cream and Soy Sauce
This combination almost sounds like a cruel prank, but it’s unexpectedly delicious. Soy sauce is intensely salty and savory, and the creamy, delicate vanilla ice cream is the perfect complement. Just be sure to start with a small drizzle; don’t pour it on like chocolate syrup because the soy sauce has a bold taste. This is one of our favorite unusual ice cream toppings!
Popcorn and Ketchup
I’ve heard of ketchup and broccoli or ketchup and pickles. Popcorn and ketchup are next-level weird. Ultimately, flavored popcorn is the new fad. Along with caramel corn, cheese popcorn, and garlic popcorn, maybe ketchup is the next best topping. In Mexico, for instance, you’ll see spicy bottled salsa to squirt over popcorn at movie theaters. Perhaps ketchup is just the American version of such a trend.
Melted Chocolate on a Cheese Pizza
Chocolate and cheese are two utterly decadent, creamy delicacies that are wonderful on their own. While other weird food combinations on my list make me a little uneasy, eating a slice of cheese pizza drizzled with melted chocolate is an experiment I would gladly participate in. Why not give it a try?
Olive Oil and Ice Cream
Olive oil and butter make for a delicious flavor profile. I’ve also delighted in an olive oil cake or two. I guess I could see olive oil’s application to desserts extended into the sweet cream realm. Olive oil has a rich and earthy flavor that tastes good on just about anything. I think it would taste good over artisanal ice cream like strawberry basil.
Honey and Pizza
Hardly a weird food combination; honey and pizza are a common pairing at many of the pizzerias I frequent. It’s a well-known fact that honey is a critical ingredient in savory and spicy dishes alike, and pizza is savory and spicy, depending on the toppings. The most popular brand is Mike’s Hot Honey, spicy honey that pairs wonderfully with pepperoni, jalapenos, and cheese. Check out some of the most hated pizza toppings!
Popcorn and Marshmallows
Considering how much I love corn pops and rice crispy treats, popcorn and marshmallows sound like a winning combo! Popcorn is crispy and savory, made better with melted butter. I would melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring freshly popped popcorn in the mix to create popcorn crispies. I’ll patent this because it’ll be a commercial success!
Oreos Dipped in Orange Juice
Milk is essential to eating Oreos, and it turns the cookie into the most delicious bite of chocolate cream pie. It’s a classic food combo. Orange juice may provide the moisture needed to achieve that perfectly smooth, liquid-saturated texture. Orange and chocolate are popular flavors, so this weird food combination may have potential.
Pizza and Ranch Dressing
A weird food combination for anyone outside North America, pizza and ranch dressing is commonplace in the US. I will side with the Italians on this pairing and deem it an abomination. Still, Ranch is a cool and creamy sauce that compliments other savory and spicy dishes like chicken wings.
Strawberries, Sour Cream, and Brown Sugar
The latest rage in healthy breakfasts consists of plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey and chopped fruit. I delight in this sophisticated sweet and sour profile most mornings myself. Sour cream tastes nearly identical to Greek yogurt, so dolling out a dollop of sour cream over sliced strawberries sounds like a logical substitute. Brown sugar and honey are both delicious, sweet additives that I’d also use interchangeably.
Ice Cream and Fries
If you’ve ever spent time in America, you’ve probably dipped your French fries in a milkshake. I’d go so far as to say that fries and a shake are as beloved as fries and a burger! Ice cream and fries are a lazy man’s version of this all-American classic.
Peanut Butter Hamburgers
Peanut butter is a beloved spread and ingredient in many cuisines, whether in a sandwich with jelly or a spicy African soup. I think the beauty of peanut butter lies in its versatility. It can be savory as easily as it can be sweet, and I think it would taste great on a burger with crispy bacon for a super-savory sandwich.
Cheddar Cheese and Apple Pie
A classic American combination, cheddar cheese and apple pie are a constant fixture on diner menus across the Midwest. Cheese on apple pie dates to the 18th century as an American take on a 17th-century British tradition of mixing cream into fruit pies. Next time your server asks if you’d like to add a slice of cheese to your pie, say yes. You won’t regret it.
Nutella and Salted Chips
If you’re a fan of salted caramel or chocolate-covered pretzels, Nutella and salted chips are a snack that won’t disappoint. Nutella’s thick, chocolate-hazelnut decadence is amazing on anything or just by the spoonful. The salted chips complement the sweetness and add a wonderful crunch. Salty and sweet is always a winning combination.
Banana and Bacon
Both beloved breakfast foods, banana and bacon have so much potential. Try combining these two inside a sweet and savory breakfast crepe with a sprinkle of pecans and a drizzle of maple syrup. Another option is to make a banana fritter and serve it with a crispy piece of bacon on top.
Bacon With Chocolate
Adding bacon and chocolate to anything offers an immediate upgrade, so combining the two could either be too much of a good thing or a culinary nirvana. I’m certainly up for the challenge! Who knows, there could be bacon-infused chocolate bars already out there. Apparently, chocolate covered bacon is. This has become a popular food at state fairs!
Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
I was surprised to see so many credulous spectators for this food combination because I happen to eat it for breakfast a few times a week. The combination of creamy and sour cottage cheese with acidic and sweet pineapple is the height of deliciousness. Plus, it’s one of the healthiest combinations you can eat.
French Fries and Honey
Honey is a common garnish for savory comfort food like biscuits and cornbread in the South or artisanal cheese plates in Europe. It’s not hard to imagine honey as a worthwhile garnish for French fries. Considering one of McDonald’s top-selling dipping sauces for fries and chicken nuggets is honey mustard, French fries and honey sounds more and more appealing.
Ketchup and Ranch Dressing
Every burger joint has a “secret sauce,” usually consisting of a combination of mayo, ketchup, and spices. Ketchup and Ranch dressing is thus essentially a secret sauce’s secret revealed. I’ll often mix Ranch and ketchup to slather on a burger, BLT, or fried chicken sandwich. You could also squeeze some lemon juice into the mix for a makeshift Thousand Island dressing for salads.
Popcorn and Hot Sauce
Popcorn and hot sauce are a popular combination in Mexico; using Salsa Valentina to drizzle over salty popcorn is as normal as adding butter to popcorn. Considering chips and tortillas are corn-based, popcorn is just another corny receptacle for spicy sauces. I love how the sauce creates a variable texture profile, with some kernels soaked and mushy while others remain crunchy.
Mango and Chili Powder
Another winning combination from Mexico, mango and chili powder is as commonplace as drizzling hot sauce over popcorn. Every fruit vendor serves fresh mango with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkling of chili powder. There are even chili-dusted dried mango slices and chili-dusted mango lollipops. The spicy kick to a sweet juicy mango is a fiesta in the making.
Macaroni and Cheese With Ketchup
This may be a weird food combination, but it sparks a particular nostalgia for my childhood dinners! While it may be a scorned combination in Italy, macaroni and cheese with ketchup is an Americanized version of a creamy vodka sauce. The combination of cheese, cream, and tomato sauce does make sense – although it’s not for me personally. I’ll stick to other mac and cheese toppings!
Peanut Butter and Cheese
You can approach this combination from various cultural, culinary traditions. Peanut butter and cheese are both quintessential sandwich fillers, so you could combine two iconic sandwiches into one. Simply add a slather of peanut butter to a grilled cheese sandwich and the result will be a match made in heaven.
Prosciutto and Melon
A common appetizer in Italian cuisine, prosciutto and melon combine sweet and savory with grace and elegance. The vibrant presentation is as enticing as it is delicious. The most common melon used is cantaloupe, but I think s thin slice of prosciutto would taste just as delicious over honeydew.
Strawberries and Balsamic
If you haven’t tried this combination, you don’t know what you’re missing! It’s a popular flavor of ice cream and milkshakes in high-end restaurants and ice cream shops. Balsamic is an inherently sweet vinegar that creates the most delicious reduction. Balsamic reduction is as thick as syrup and pairs perfectly with the subtle tart sweetness of strawberries.
Watermelon and Feta
Another European favorite, watermelon and feta is a popular summer salad often topped with fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice. An age-old tradition in households worldwide is to salt slices of watermelon to accentuate their flavor. Feta is the perfect salty and creamy cheese to take watermelon from a simple snack to a refined salad.
Chocolate and Avocado
While you may associate avocados with salty and tangy foods like guacamole and avocado toast, avocados also pair well with sweet foods. A case in point is chocolate. Avocados are as creamy and fatty as butter, so they make perfect substitutes for plant-based desserts like a chocolate mousse or chocolate pudding. I love adding melted dark chocolate and avocado to a blender to create a healthier, cholesterol-free chocolate dessert. I also love adding avocado to my smoothies for extra creaminess.
Avocado with Honey
If you’re a fan of peanut butter and honey or butter and honey on your toast or biscuit, then you’ll love avocado with honey. The combination of creamy fat with honey is not a new concept. Avocados are just a dairy and nut-free option for you to sink your teeth into. It’s not so different from the TikTok food trend of avocado and sweetened condensed milk.
Chicken and Penne With Maple Syrup Alfredo
This is a hard one for me to wrap my brain around, let alone my mouth. I suppose it has the same appeal as drizzling maple syrup over bacon, that is, combining sweet with savory. If you’re as skeptical as I am, I’d recommend drizzling some maple syrup over your alfredo pasta before incorporating it into the sauce.
Brie and Jam Sandwich
Perhaps my favorite weird food combination on the list, brie and jam is the height of luxury. It’s usually reserved for holiday parties and special occasions. I’ll always bring a phyllo-wrapped baked brie with fig or pear jam to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. I just pray there’s enough leftover to make a brie and jam sandwich the following morning.
Blueberries and Steak
Steak is as heavy and rich as food gets, and blueberries lie at the opposite end of the spectrum. They say opposites attract, and this unlikely combination of flavors gives credence to this adage. I’m not telling you to throw whole blueberries on a filet mignon. However, reducing blueberries with balsamic and sugar makes for a show-stopping steak sauce.
i like your blog