The thought of cooking chicken with Nutella, dipping fries in milkshake or serving white chocolate with caviar might initially make you recoil. However, there’s often simple science to explain why these weird and wonderful dishes work. It’s time to put your preconceptions aside because you’ve got to taste these strange combos to believe them.

You might be skeptical about strawberries and balsamic vinegar but this is a food pairing that lets strawberries shine. The fruit is sweet and fragile and balsamic vinegar, which is strong and syrupy, intensifies their flavor and makes them even sweeter. Traditional pairings like chocolate and cream can actually mask a strawberry’s intricate berry notes.

Try the combo in this strawberry and summer leaf salad

Pairing cacao and chili dates back to the Aztec era and modern chefs swear by adding a few squares of dark chocolate to chili con carne, like in this chili with beef, chocolate and pumpkin recipe. The chocolate adds depth to the sauce and balances the acidity of the tomatoes. Adding chili to chocolate is also a thing. The creamy, sweet taste of chocolate is followed by the subtle heat of chili.

Try it for yourself in this chili chocolate cake

Miso is a tangy fermented soybean paste you’re used to seeing in savory meals such as ramen. However, its salty, umami flavor complements sweet foods like chocolate and caramel too. Golden-hued miso ice cream is taking the world by storm. Try it in flavors such as ginger maple miso, miso butterscotch, honey miso and miso and brown sugar.

The combination of peanut butter, banana and bacon sounds like it shouldn’t work. However, in a sandwich, sweet banana enhances the savory, butteriness of peanut butter. A couple of rashers of crisp bacon provide an extra layer of salty, crunchy, meaty decadence. It’s otherwise known as an Elvis sandwich, supposedly the King’s favorite recipe.

Coffee makes a brilliant marinade for red meats such as duck. Like red wine, coffee is acidic which helps tenderize meat and pairs well with its savoriness. You could also use coffee grounds as a rub with spices like cinnamon and pepper. If you’re barbecuing the meat, the rub will caramelize, forming a sweet, savory and slightly bitter crust that helps lock in moisture.

Chocolate and vinegar is a pairing that works in two ways. Firstly, chocolate-infused balsamic vinegar has a pleasing cocoa aroma, sweetness and slight bitterness. You could drizzle it on top of fruits, serve it with desserts and use it in marinades. Vinegar is also used in eggless chocolate cake. It’s an acid which reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide and make cakes rise.

Peanut butter on hamburgers is a surprising combination but when you think of satay sauce used as a marinade, it makes more sense. Peanut butter adds a lovely, nutty richness to the burger and goes well with chipotle, cheddar and bacon. It will melt on the hot patty, creating a gorgeous sticky sauce.

If you like Oreos with milk and you like orange chocolate, this unusual combination might be just for you. Like milk, the orange juice softens the cookie but also infuses the dark chocolate disc with a fresh, sweet, citrus note.

Sweet and savory is a classic combination: sweet and salty popcorn, peanut butter and jelly, ham and pineapple. But honey and pizza is a new one. Sweet honey balances out strong flavors like tangy cheeses, salty meats and spicy toppings. Once the pizza is cooked, drizzle over a little honey but not if it already has a sweet sauce like barbecue.

Some fast food fans love dipping fries in their milkshake and for others, the thought is a horrifying one. This combination actually works because of the sweet-salty, hot-cold dynamic. The contrasts balance each other and are exciting to the taste buds, in the same way that fried ice cream and affogato are. Also, the fries are a useful tool to scoop up the ice cream when it’s too thick to suck through a straw. In 2016 McDonald’s even approved the hack by asking their Facebook followers, “What’s your favourite flavour to dunk your fries in?".

Peanut butter and raw onion works in a sandwich because peanut butter needs something sharp, fresh or crunchy to cut through the rich, thick spread, such a jam, raw apple slices or sweet onion. The raw onion isn’t as potent as it would be if eaten alone because it’s tamed by the peanut butter.

Rice with ketchup is convenience food at its finest. Plain rice is bland and ketchup provides all the flavor. Try this this recipe where leftover rice is also fried with onion, carrots and peas. Add a fried egg, kimchi and soy sauce for another element of flavor.

Marmite (yeast extract spread), pasta and cheese might sound like a dish cash-strapped students make, however it’s inspired by prolific food writer Anna del Conte’s ‘day-after-the-roast pasta’. Marmite (yeast extract spread) acts like a umami-packed stock cube when melted in butter and a little cooking water from the spaghetti, making a savory sauce. It’s great with salty Parmesan on top. Try this Marmite mac ‘n’ cheese.

It’s a little known trick that adding lime juice, chili and salt to fruit completely transforms its flavor. Acidity brings out the natural sweetness of mango, papaya and watermelon, and intensifies their flavor. A sprinkle of salt and cayenne pepper make the fruits irresistible. Chili mango margaritas are a zingy drink that also plays on this combination.

Avocado and chocolate seem an unlikely pairing but when they’re blended together, they make a decadent dessert. Avocado is naturally creamy and mild flavored, acting as a blank canvas for cocoa powder. Once they’re blended you can’t taste the avocado and you can sweeten with honey, maple syrup or sugar for a vegan and gluten-free chocolate mousse.

Strawberries pair well with basil because the herb has an aromatic and peppery flavor that complements, but doesn’t overpower, the sweet berry. The colorful combination works well in light, summery dishes such as salads, with chicken, in sorbet, lemonade, cocktails and cake. Try this refreshing drink with strawberries, basil, vodka, lime, sugar syrup and soda water.

You might grimace at the thought of drizzling sriracha in a peanut butter sandwich, however, the smooth, sweet peanut butter mellows the spicy sauce. The flavors are loosely similar to those in Thai cooking, where many dishes contain chili and peanuts. It’s easy to make a quick, Thai-inspired sauce at home by mixing peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and a squeeze of lime juice.

Chocolate milk and salt is a perfect match – salt enhances chocolate’s flavor. The combination has the sweet-salty dynamic and salt also makes the drink more-ish and addictive, like salty fries, peanuts and potato chips. Give it a go by adding a pinch of salt to chocolate milk or rim a glass of chocolate milk with salt, margarita-style.

Olive oil and ice cream is an unexpected, heavenly pairing. The grassy, fruity flavors of olive oil, plus a sprinkle of sea salt, heighten cream’s richness. It also works well with a dash of vanilla. Try this pairing by drizzling extra virgin olive oil on top of your favorite good-quality vanilla ice cream or have a go at homemade olive oil gelato.

Like the peanut butter and raw onion sandwich, this combination works because the juicy, crisp, pickles cut through the claggy, heavy peanut butter. There’s also a sweet and sour element to it. Have it on plain or toasted bread with sweet or hot pickles and hot sauce. It was a popular dish during the Great Depression and a good recipe to have up your sleeve.

Instant ramen and American cheese shouldn’t work but really does. The hot broth melts the cheese so it turns into a creamy, noodle soup. It’s not traditional but it’s quick and comforting. You can get creative by swapping in other cheeses like cheddar or adding toppings like sriracha, garlic, mushrooms and onion.

Bacon and jelly aren’t two ingredients you immediately pair together but give it a try. Bacon is cooked to a salty crisp – it’s not soggy – and combined with sugar, vinegar, onions and cayenne pepper to make jelly that’s thick and sticky. It’s like candied bacon but in spread form.

Chefs love to add black pepper to fruity desserts because it brings a subtle hint of spice to the dish, while also enhancing the fruit's flavor. The trick works well with acidic fruit such as strawberries, pineapples and tart plums. It’s also good in desserts where fruit is caramelized as this mellows out the black pepper.

Try adding black pepper to pineapple pavlova

Marmite (yeast extract spread) and avocado are both delicious on toast but combining them? You won’t regret giving it a go. Marmite pairs well with anything creamy like butter, melted cheese... or avocado. And avocado needs something salty and high in flavor like Marmite, otherwise it’s too bland. Together, the opposites come together to make a balanced and satisfying dish.

Most people wouldn’t dream of adding coke to their red wine, however in Spain, it’s a popular drink called kalimotxo. It’s made with equal parts fizzy drink and wine over ice. Refreshing to drink in hot weather, it's not sickly sweet like some cocktails. Kalimotxo is particularly popular with the younger generation as it’s not expensive and makes cheap red wine taste nicer.

Dark chocolate and beetroot works well in rich chocolate cakes and brownies because it adds complexity to the bake. The overwhelming taste is chocolate but there are subtle earthy notes of beetroot. It also does wonders to the texture and color. The vegetable makes chocolate cakes moist and dark, and brownies dense and gooey.

Steak and strawberries is a surprising fruit and meat pairing but the contrast between the soft, sweet strawberries and bold, thick steak works. This duo is found in many variations including beef carpaccio with pickled strawberries, steak with strawberry sauce and strawberry steak salad.

You’ll find the unlikely but brilliant pairing of olives and cookies in a Portuguese dish called black olive cookies. Chopped, cured black olives are combined with orange zest in slightly salty, slightly sweet, fragrant and brittle cookies. The flavors of briny, earthy olives play off the zingy orange zest. They’re eaten as an accompaniment to tea and served with lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream.

We’re not suggesting squeezing honey over your favourite bag of potato chips but honey butter chips is a flavour sold in Korea. It's a genius pairing because honey and butter go together on nearly everything from roasted vegetables to toast and popcorn. The potato chips are sweet, salty and seriously buttery. They’re so sought after, they’re always sold out in supermarkets.

Salty caviar enhances the creamy flavor of white chocolate, like salt does with most foods. This combination is different because both foods also contain high levels of the proteins that make meat and cheese addictive, making it even more more-ish. But whipping up these caviar and white chocolate discs will be expensive – the recipe calls for real Sevruga caviar – but the taste of white chocolate melting to leave the flavor of caviar on your tongue is said to be worth it.

Read more: The world's strangest foods aren’t what they seem

 

Tuna and cocoa powder is an unusual combination but it doesn’t work with any old fish and chocolate. You’ll need to top sliced baguette with tuna belly, a drizzle of olive oil and grated 100% cacao to make the combo work. The chocolate provides interesting bitter, nutty notes and the olive oil brings the dish together. There’s also a dish called Caribbean cocoa tuna which is a tuna salad where the fillets are flavored with cocoa.

Read more: 36 super simple recipes anyone can cook

 

Nutella and chicken is an unexpected pairing that can work. A chocolate hazelnut marinade gives chicken a rich and nutty flavor, and stands up to strong spices. In London, UK, a takeaway spot sold Nutella-marinated chicken kebabs flavored with cumin, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. In South American cuisine, chicken mole plays on similar flavors.

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