Have you ever mistakenly mixed two foods that do not belong together? The only thing more jarring than realizing you've accidentally merged two strange flavors is learning that the combinations of those flavors are actually delicious.
It can defy everything we think we know about flavor profiles when we find these strange combinations. Perhaps the best way to wrap our heads around these unusual taste anomalies is to try them! Below, we've listed some of the most unexpected flavor combinations that taste delicious to help solve why these flavor-duos are so delicious.
Ice Cream and Fries
Everything about these two foods is different from each other. The texture of ice cream is cold, wet, and mushy, while French fries are hot and crispy. Ice cream's flavor is packed with decadent and sweet sugars, while fries are a salty and savory combination of potatoes and cooking oil. Blends of sweet and savory foods are not uncommon, but the added differences in texture and temperature make ice cream and fries a bizarre combination.
Green Apples and Salsa
Are you looking for the next best dish to serve at a party? This appetizer may look bizarre at first glance, but the mixture of flavors is undeniably delicious. Green apples and salsa create an intense combination of tangy sweetness and spice to deliver the ultimate refreshing snack.
The crunch of apple slices also makes them ideal for substituting tortilla chips as a healthy and delicious alternative. The mouthfeel of these two foods pairs well together with crunchy and chunky textures. This dish may look strange, but once friends and family try this duo together, they will forever be hungry for another bite.
Avocado and Chocolate
Avocado and chocolate may seem like an odd combination, but both these foods have a long history of being consumed together. Many cultures have long admired the combination of chocolate and avocado by drizzling chocolate syrup on top of avocados as a sweet snack. These foods work well together because the creamy texture of the avocado complements the sweet and bold flavor of the chocolate.
When combined, avocado can add a thickness to chocolate's texture and dilute some of the bitter taste at the forefront of chocolate's flavoring. While chocolate and avocado may look different in color and texture, these two foods can create a healthy and enjoyable dessert.
Cheese and Apple Pie
This combination might be hard to imagine, but both these foods' primary flavors and ingredients are relatively common. For example, eating apple slices with cheese squares is a recognizable combination of flavors.
When combined on a larger scale, these two flavors will melt together into a sweet mix of gooey, salty, and savory goodness. The creamy texture and sharp taste of cheese are the perfect complements to the refreshing tart of apples. The next time you bake an apple pie, sprinkle a generous portion of cheddar cheese on top to create an unusual but delectable treat.
Peanut Butter and Burgers
This pair might seem like an ideal snack for a pregnancy craving, but these two flavors will be enjoyable for anyone who enjoys a savory feast. The creamy texture of peanut butter, when added to forming burger patties, will melt and fuse to make a juicier and flavor-packed burger. The mild nutty flavor of the peanut butter will not overpower or oversaturate burgers with added salt. Instead, this combination will emphasize each burger's singular ingredients by giving them a juicer and flavorful mouthfeel.
Sriracha and Peanut Butter
If you are a fan of the spicy and the sweet, this strange combination will revolutionize your next snacking treat. The creamy texture of peanut butter and its soft, nutty flavor will dilute a sriracha sauce's spiciness level to give it a balanced taste. Sriracha will also complement the saltiness of peanut butter by adding sweetness to the combination. These two spreads are perfect for bringing out the best in each other's flavor.
Honey and Pepperoni Pizza
Another unexpected flavor combination that tastes delicious is honey paired with pepperoni pizza. This meal is a classic mixture of the salty and savory with a spicy twist. The sweetness of the honey drizzled over the crispy and seasoned pepperoni will melt into the gooey, savory cheese and tomato sauce. Battering the pizza's crust with light layers of honey will also bring a more powerful bite of sweetness to the mouth's forefront. A masterpiece of unexpected yet delicious layers, honey and pepperoni pizza is a duo to remember.
Hot Sauce and Ice Cream
If you love to challenge your spice level tolerance but need a safety net while tasting, hot sauce and ice cream may be the dream combination for you. Milk is often used to defuse the heat of many intense spices and peppers. Ice cream and hot sauce create a unique combination, where every bite is a burst of hot, intense, and bold flavor immediately melted and complemented by a creamy and cold texture. With a snack combo like this, your spice tolerance will be higher in no time!
Strawberry and Tomato
These two fruits seem different, but they are actually similar in taste. In fact, the longer a tomato absorbs sugar, the more it will fuse its tanginess to create the recognizable taste of a sugary and tangy strawberry. The unexpected similarities between these two fruits make them an ideal complement to each other. Consider adding a new baking recipe of combined tomatoes and strawberries into your cookbook. If you're not sure how to get started, using strawberry cream flavor emulsions will make a new recipe with combined tomato and strawberry simple and successful!
Sometimes, accidental crossovers between two foods we never imagined together create a flavor mixture we can never forget. These unexpected mixtures of sweet, tangy, spicy, salty, and nutty tastes are a reminder that flavors are made for exploring. Whether you pair strange sauces together or add flavor emulsions into your baking, experimenting with flavor combinations is a fun and thrilling way to find new recipes.
Here at Get Suckered, we supply you with some of the boldest and powerful flavors to help you find new tastes and recipes to expand your palate. Browse through our different recipes and flavors to see what new combinations of flavors you can try today.