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Lifestyle

10 Weird Food Combinations That Actually Work

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at PSU chapter.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always combined different foods together even if they technically weren’t supposed to match. I’ve always been a fan of putting potato chips on my hoagies, or graham crackers in my yogurt, but I’ve recently found a bunch of stranger food combinations that people actually eat.

Recently, people on YouTube are trying these strange food combinations and voicing their opinions. It’s even been a feature on BuzzFeed. These videos are a huge hit and started trending all over the internet. From trying international food combos to disgusting snack foods, the internet is going crazy over gross food. This made me start thinking about the foods themselves, and whether these combos actually taste as bad (or as good) as people say they do. So, I decided to test out a couple of these bizarre combinations and let you know if any were worth trying.

1. Olive Oil & Ice Cream

Olive oil on ice cream? Although it’s not your typical hot fudge or caramel topping, a drizzle of olive oil followed by a dash of sea salt just might blow your mind. I wasn’t as skeptical about this one since it involved ice cream and everything’s good on ice cream, right? 

2.  Dorito Sandwiches 

Before you think about how gross this may be, Doritos on sandwiches are actually extremely popular all over the world. People have been putting Doritos on a variety of different sandwiches like a classic turkey and cheese sandwich or even PB&J. For me, I put it on a PB&J and found that the crunchy texture of the chips actually worked really well with the peanut butter and jelly. Who would’ve thought?

3. Oreos in Orange Juice

Alright so, I know what you’re probably thinking: Oreos dipped in orange juice? Disgusting! I was hesitant to even try this one, because how could that possibly be good? But, boy was I wrong. I can admit this was one of the strangest food combinations I’ve ever tried, but something about it just tasted right. The tang of the orange juice actually enhanced the overall flavor of the icing and chocolate cookie. I think i’ll still stick to the good ole milk and cookies combo, but if you’re an adventurous eater this one’s definitely worth a try!

4. Grilled Cheese and Applesauce

Applesauce has always been the perfect side dish for a variety of different meals, but  I’ve never thought of dipping the grilled cheese into applesauce. The hot grilled cheese balanced surprisingly well with the cold applesauce. Apples and cheese are a common combo so it doesn’t surprise me that this weird combination exists. 

5. Strawberries on Pizza

We’ve all heard of putting pineapples on pizza, but strawberries? Personally, I think putting pineapples on pizza is awful and so it didn’t surprise me when I absolutely hated the way this tasted. Something about warm strawberries with cheese and tomato sauce just didn’t sit well with me. I know this one didn’t work out for me but according to other reviewers it’s amazing. I’m not sure how people actually like this but hey, to each his own.

6. Bread, Butter, and Sprinkles

This “dessert” is typically known as Fairy Bread. It’s a popular childhood birthday dish for Australian kids parties. Although this may be “weird,” once I saw sprinkles it was game over. I have always loved sweets, so naturally, I LOVED this. It’s basically a sweet little twist on your classic bread and butter.

7. Green Apples and Salsa

Spicy and sweet tend to go together, but apples and salsa? What happened to the chips? The apple did compliment the salsa well. The salsa I chose to use was a pineapple chipotle salsa (since I already had it in my fridge). The sweet pineapple in the salsa paired nicely with the crisp apple. If I were to change anything i’d think about adding the apple into the salsa rather than using it as a chip. 

8. Parmesan and Dark Chocolate

Chocolate and cheese has been a classic pairing for a while. I’ve heard of jam and cheese sandwiches, so chocolate and cheese isn’t far off. Having the nutty flavor of the Parmesan paired with the rich taste of the dark chocolate is something you’re going to want to experience. 

9. Chicken Nuggets in Icecream

Ah yes, chicken nuggets in your ice cream. This one takes me back to when I was a kid and would drunk my nuggets and fries into my ice cream at my favorite fast food places. Even now if I have the opportunity to do it, I do. Who says this food combo is only for kids?

10. Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich

Of course I had to end with the famous pickle and peanut butter sandwich. Thinking about vinegary dill pickles paired with a sweet, creamy peanut butter at first made me gag. To my surprise, the acidity from the pickle paired really nicely with the peanut butter. Plus, the crisp chips made for a delicious crunch.

I guess after putting these combos to the test, I can successfully say (most) of them actually worked. If you’re an adventurous eater like me, trying these weird food combinations and it might just change your world.