Weird Food Combos: Where Do You Stand?

Are these food combinations delicious or disgusting?

Over the years, humans have found ways to innovate and evolve that would probably shock our ancestors. The same can be said for these 7 disgusting (or maybe delicious?) food combinations: If our ancestors saw what some of us eat nowadays, would they be appalled, or jealous? Thanks to a recent Buzzfeed post, the world has been exposed to all sorts of, um, unnatural food combinations that some people swear by. So, we at HungerPass pass the question off to you: Are these weird food combos works of genius, or crimes against humanity?

 

1) Chocolate and Tuna

Photo credit thetakeout.com

According to Reader’s Digest, this sweet and, well, fishy food combo is made famous by celebrity chef Frankie Terzoli. It isn’t hard to believe that Terzoli, most known as a contestant on Top Chef, created such an unexpected dish: He is also known for his loud and lively personality, and for belting out opera ballads and doing cartwheels in the kitchen.

The good people over at The Takeout were brave enough to put this sweet-n-salty food combination to the test. Though the combination of tuna and chocolate sounds like something out of some alien cookbook, The Takeout described it as “a flavor pairing that might be served as an amuse bouche at a three Michelin-starred Italian restaurant.” So the next time you’re looking for something to go with your tuna sandwich, maybe check your pantry for some chocolate chips?

2) Bananas and Pizza

Photo credit Daiya.com

You may think that tropical bananas and not-so-tropical marinara sauce and mozzarella are from entirely different worlds, but the entire Swedish population would probably disagree. According to And My Kitchen Sink, Banana Curry Pizza is actually a dish you would find under the “Ordinary” category on a Swedish menu. Just picture bananas in place of pepperoni, and you got yourself a Swedish delicacy.

Though Banana Curry Pizza is typically a vegetarian option, Daiya.com provides a dairy, gluten, and soy-free option even the pickiest of vegans can enjoy. With just a sprinkle of red onion, curry powder, and, of course, bananas, you can transform your average American pizza into the tasty–albeit unusual–Swedish pizza of your dreams.

3) Blueberries and Dijon Mustard

Photo credit  Tasteofhome.com 

Ew, right? Wrong–this dish, when paired with a succulent and lightly-seasoned chicken, is actually a high-class favorite at many restaurants. I know the idea of adding fruit to poultry sounds strange, but hear us out! For a light, Spring-like dish that your family probably hasn’t tasted before, try Taste of Home’s Blueberry Dijon Chicken. The tartness of the blueberries pleasantly counteracts the nutty spice of the Dijon, and with chicken as the base of the meal, you’re in for what one reviewer called “one of the best recipes I have tried in a long time.” It’s the healthy and easy-to-make reimagining of the classic chicken dinner, and you may never go back.

4) Avocados with Salted Caramel

Photo credit Saveur.com

Avocados have taken the health food world by storm in recent years, which may make this sweet and salty dish even more surprising. Saveur describes this odd pairing as “perfect for dessert or for a snack served atop toast or ice cream.” It’s not every day we discover a meal that works for both breakfast and for dessert!

Avocados already have such a distinctive flavor, making this combination with such a classically sweet flavor as caramel a surprise. But not all surprises are bad, and when paired with a perfectly ripe avocado, you may be in for a delicious experience. This quick and easy breakfast/dessert is so versatile, it’s a yummy addition to any dinner party, brunch, or late-night snack alike. Unless, of course, you’re of the 1% of the population that dislikes avocados. In that case, maybe stick to caramel apples instead!

5) Oreos and Orange Juice

Photo credit theodysseyonline.com

Yes, you read that correctly. Oreos and Orange Juice. This is not a typo!

Talk about coming out of left field. But many people actually swear by the sour-and-chocolately combination, including almost every participant in this Buzzfeed video where brave employees tried it out. “I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is better to dunk Oreos in that milk,” one participant claimed, and many of his coworkers agreed.

The secret goodness seems to lie in the orange+chocolate combination, which is unusual but not exactly unheard of, as well as the cream+orange combo. The tartness of the orange juice apparently enhances the chocolate of the Oreo, making for a heightened Oreo flavor. Still–you won’t find me dunking my Oreos in a tall glass of orange juice anytime soon!

6) Balsamic Vinegar and Vanilla Ice Cream

Photo credit letsdishrecipes.com

From afar, this dish looks like your everyday vanilla sundae with hot fudge. But pop a spoonful into your mouth, and you’re in for a tangy (and vinegar-y?) wake-up call.

As reported by Reader’s Digest, balsamic vinegar ice cream was popularized by Master Chef Ken Arnone, this strange dessert provides the sweet wholesomeness of vanilla ice cream while shocking your taste buds with spicy balsamic vinegar. The Kitchn.com was daring enough to try it out for themselves, with some unexpectedly decadent (and Pinterest-worthy!) results. For an added element of sweet/sour/saltiness, check out letsdishrecipes.com’s recipe for Roasted Balsamic Cherries, which will transform your after-dinner ice cream into a full-fledged cherry-balsamic sundae!

7) Mayonnaise and Grape Jelly Sandwich

Photo credit gardenandgun.com

Perhaps this Uproxx writer said it best after bravely trying this horrific snack himself: “The pipes froze in my apartment and this is still the worst thing to happen to me this week.”

This abomination of a sandwich went viral a few years ago when Nikola Miortic of the Chicago Bulls apparently tricked his teammates into ingesting it. Honestly, I can’t imagine anything worse than a mouthful of mayo and grape jelly. Though a majority of the food combos on this list have pleasantly tasty results, this last snack has very few redeeming qualities.

Still, some people–including the beloved Pioneer Woman herself–stand by this inconceivable combination, even going so far as to provide a recipe for Chicken Curry Sandwich spread with Apricot Jam. Sounds fake, but okay.   

If mayonnaise and grape jelly wasn’t disgusting enough, prepare yourself for a similar disaster of a sandwich: Mayonnaise and peanut butter. Believe it or not, mayo and peanut butter sandwiches were actually pretty popular in the South during the Great Depression, and are now considered a Southern delicacy. According to Garden and Gun, “peanut butter and mayonnaise kept many struggling households afloat.” At least this weird food combo helped feed families during a time of need–the same certainly can’t be said for Oreos and orange juice.

 

So, what do you think? Are these food combos the stuff of horrible nightmares, or of your wildest daydreams? Let us know in the comments!

 

Written by Emma Patterson