I’m a picky eater. I can accept that about myself, and often it’s got nothing to do with taste. It’s all in the texture of the food. For example: mushroom sauce? Hell yes. Actual real life mushroom? Burn it in the fires of hell and then stamp on it for good measure, please and thank you.
And yet, I’m also the first person to chuck a handful of super salty, buttery popcorn smack bang into the cup of frozen coke I get at the movies – and let me tell you, it was a serious deterrent for many a date but I will stand by it forever. Salty and sweet is the best flavour combo.
I’ve been called out for my so-called hypocrisy, but EVERYONE has a seriously questionable flavour pairing that polite company might turn their noses up at, and I’m confident that mine is far from the worst.
So naturally, a full scale investigation was launched.
First, I interrogated the PTV office, seeking validation. I knew my colleagues hid some culinary secrets in their big ol’ brains. And hoo boy – I’ve learned more than I care to know about some of them. Check out some of the responses below (not on a full stomach).
- Hot chips with slightly melty gummy bears on top. – Brad
- A cold, thick, briney tuna and water smoothie for hangovers. – Louie
- Cheese and banana on toast with melted tasty cheese on top. – Josh
- Instant coffee, yoghurt and canned peaches. All mixed together. – Alex
- A single packet of Doritos with ketchup poured straight into the bag. – Liv
Just when I thought I’d reached the very limits of my capacity to handle gross discussion, I was shaken to my very core by an offhandedly linked article by one of my co-workers. About his consumption of, I kid you not, tomato and placenta pizza.
Yep, that’s where we’re at now.
Satisfied with the fact that my colleagues are as depraved as I’ve been accused of being, I ventured forth to ask my circle of friends if it extended beyond the office. It does.
- Banana cut into slices with a dollop of sriracha in the centre. – Connor
- Beetroot and Vegemite sandwiched between crackers. – Kate
- Instant ramen with mayonnaise (without draining the ramen). – Diego
- A block of cheap cheese, cut into slices and dipped in BBQ sauce. – Tegan
- Vegemite toast covered in a thick layer of garlic paste. – Gail
Turns out I surround myself with heathens.
But there was a shining light in the steaming pile of texturally ambiguous and frankly off-putting flavour combos, and that was from my pal Kelsey.
- Cookies and cream ice-cream with salt and vinegar chips.
FINALLY, I can get behind this one. Salty and sweet – it makes sense, just like my popcorn and frozen coke pair. It’s a flavour combo that has your tongue doing cartwheels of joy in your mouth and your senses waking up ready to join the party.
The best part is that it’s absolutely accessible in snack form too, so you can take that tongue-bliss treat with you wherever you go in the form of McVities Flipz – chocolate covered pretzels that will banish all thoughts of these horrendous combinations from your brain forever.
Salty and sweet. As it should be.
