Some food combinations are the very definition of tried, tested and triumphantly tasted. Fish and chips, strawberries and cream, mash and gravy, eggs and bacon…pairings which work so well in tandem that alone, they just feel naked.
But in recent years, advances in food science and gastronomy have unearthed some fascinating – and sometimes, fantastical – combinations. Combinations which on paper sound jarring, but on the plate, are highly harmonious.
Now, with the importance and advancements of food science, scientists and chefs are able to identify, on a molecular level, compatibility between ingredients, and this has led to some amazing discoveries in the world of flavour.
Here are some of our favourites; these 7 out-there food pairings that shouldn’t work, but do.
WATERMELON AND MUSTARD
If you’re up to date with all the latest TikToks (can that even be pluralised? God, we’re old), you might have seen some users cooking – or cooling – up a storm with this captivating combo. Foodies across the globe now swear by pairing watermelon with spicy mustard, and actually, we can imagine it working well. Even Lizzo has tried it; do you dare?
PEANUT BUTTER AND PICKLES
Some people adore peanut butter, claiming they could eat it with just about anything. But does that brave claim include pickles? The New York Times caused uproar recently when they published a recipe for a peanut butter and pickle sandwich, and after reading, we just had to try it for ourselves.
It’s perhaps one to try at home, rather than pack into your children’s school lunch, but the logic does work, with the protective layer of the peanut butter ensuring pickle juice doesn’t leave your sandwich too soggy, and the vinegar adding new levels of excitement and contrast to the salty, sweet peanut butter. Are you convinced?
CHOCOLATE AND CHEESE
Stuck for gift ideas for your foodie friend? Whilst you’ve probably gifted chocolate before and perhaps you’ve even slipped them a slab of Stilton when inspiration was running low, you probably haven’t thought of putting the two together.
Trust us; in the right hands, it works! Grab some chocolate gift boxes with a variety of flavours, and crumble on some cheese for a real taste sensation. Considering both are made from milk, the idea makes more sense than it first sounds; the creaminess linking the two and the sweetness of chocolate and the saltiness of cheese providing contrast.
In actuality, this combination has been savoured in Colombia for generations, with the warming drink Chocolate con Queso enjoyed with breakfast in the country enthusiastically.
Generally speaking, it’s dark chocolate that works best with cheese. Save your white chocolate for a different, out there match-up…
WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CAVIAR
Yep, you read that one right. In fact, as celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal explains in the Guardian, white chocolate and caviar are, surprisingly, natural bedfellows as ‘’both the chocolate and caviar contain high levels of amines’’. These amines increase as fruit ripens, cheese matures and meat ages, concentrating flavour and delivering that all important ‘depth’.
The chef went even further in his Fat Duck Cookbook, adding scallops to the already challenging food pairing to make a truly unique trio.
STRAWBERRY AND BLACK PEPPER
Black pepper is actually the dried fruit of the pepper berry, so this combination perhaps isn’t as far fetched as it sounds. The best thing is that pairing strawberry and black pepper at home is that it doesn’t require a chef’s light touch or precision…just freshly grind a little over your bowl and savour those piquant notes against the sweet, succulent strawberries!
In fact, strawberry has form in the out-there-combinations-department, also pairing beautifully with basil and balsamic vinegar. In fact, they all work well together in the same bowl!
ICE CREAM AND OLIVE OIL
We’ve all heard of sea-salt chocolate, but ice cream topped with olive oil might sound like a step too far for some. But those who dismiss this combination are missing out on an absolute classic.
Simply adding a glug to your vanilla ice cream enhances that creamy mouth feel without actually being oily, and adds grassy notes to boot. But if you’re keen to delve deeper, there are even some gelato shops that offer their own olive oil ice cream. If you do happen to come across such a shop, order one….trust us.
In fact, this pairing has gone mainstream, with the winner of the 2021 UK Masterchef competition, Tom Rhodes, serving olive oil ice cream in the final. There is also a particularly fine version served in London restaurant Quality Chop House, using premium Capezzana olive oil. Bellissima!
SRIRACHA AND PEANUT BUTTER
If the pickle–peanut combo has left you wanting more, why not take it up a notch with a siracha and peanut butter pairing? Rather than the classic PB&J sandwich, siracha offers the sweetness of jam without the added sugar, while the peanut butter balances out some of the spice. Gorgeous.