Cooking is like chemistry. With the correct elements, it can create a wonderful compound that mesmerizes your tongue. But, if you choose the wrong elements to mix, it can cause chaos. So, I have done the science for you and would like to introduce five food pairings you should never eat together.
1. Cucumber and Radish
lsbardel on Flickr
Cucumber and radish is an amazing pair. As an Asian, I love eating these two, whether it is included in my appetizer or my main dish. The taste of cucumber, which is slightly sweet and faintly salty, goes extremely well with radish's fizzy flavor.
But unfortunately, Cucumber contains ascorbinase, which breaks down vitamin C. Ultimately, it prevents our body from absorbing them. So cucumber and radish (or any food with vitamin C) should not be eaten together.
2. Spinach and Tofu
vmiramontes on Flickr
Another pairing that I love eating together: spinach and tofu. However, it turns out that spinach contains oxalic acid which binds with calcium in tofu and makes it indigestible for our stomach. When I mean indigestible, I mean they form kidney stones, and you do not want that to happen.
3. Tomatoes and Sugar
Laurel Fan on Flickr
Another classic match up, tomatoes and sugar. Not only does sugar make tomatoes much more sweet, it makes them more enjoyable. But again, sugar may require your body to take up extra vitamin B.
So basically, if you eat tomatoes and sugar together, the nutrients inside the tomato (vitamin B) will be used to digest sugar. Ultimately, you will be eating tomatoes and not get any good out of it other than feeling full.
4. Bread and Orange Juice
Image from WikiCommons
Whenever I'm late for my important, yet boring lecture, I'll grab an orange juice with a loaf of bread and run to the bus stop. Although this pair is my favorite breakfast, acids inside orange juice destroys enzymes needed for the digestion of bread (carbohydrates). Guess I'll have to drink milk instead.
5. Beer and Peanuts
Image from WikiCommons
I am sure somewhere along my genetic tree I have an Irish ancestor because I just love beer. And peanuts are (or were) my favorite side dish whenever enjoying a fresh cold beer right from the fridge. However, recently I found out that 100g of peanut contains 567.4 kcal (a 100g of cheeseburger has 308 kcal). I guess I'll have to stick with my nachos.
So here's five food parings you should not eat together. But at the same time, there's 500 more pairs of food that you should eat together out in the wild. But for now, let's be safe than sorry, and stay away from the doctors.