Odd Couples: 5 Weird Food Pairings That Shouldn’t Be Delicious But Are!
Some foods were simply made to be together, like PB&J, chips and salsa, burgers and fries… these are classic food pairings that we know and love
Photo: Unsplash/@neko_tamo
Some foods were simply made to be together, like PB&J, chips and salsa, burgers and fries… these are classic food pairings that we know and love. But every once in a while, two ingredients that have no business belonging in the same dish somehow make it work. When thrown together, they create unexpectedly delicious flavor combinations.
Some of these culinary odd couples have become global foodie trends. We’re looking at you, bacon and chocolate. Others might be familiar in Latino recipe books but would raise eyebrows (and nostrils) in other parts of the world. To celebrate these unusual food pairings, here five deliciously weird food pairings that you can find in our kitchen.
Chicken and Chocolate
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/AX5q8Zw2dHNHYKxLwrQHRUquQxnrARppf5y90MHHZk8nRWRTGkPCyXM/?nic_v2=1a4qzuVRz
Just thinking about those two ingredients together would make some folks squirm, and to be fair, it really doesn’t like an appetizing combination. But then you bite into a dish of chicken mole and suddenly, chocolate and chicken is absolutely delicious.
By the way, mole can refer to any sauce… like guacamole. The chicken and chocolate variety is known as mole poblano.
wp_*posts
Evaporated Milk and Condensed Milk
This one seems more unnecessary than weird. After all, evaporated milk is condensed milk without the sugar. Why would anyone add condensed milk to that? Or for that matter, add evaporated milk to condensed milk?
But these “leches” are two of the three milk products that make up one of the most iconic and scrumptious desserts in Latin America: tres leches. These two milks are also found in Puerto Rican coquito, which is what would happen if egg nog went on a Caribbean cruise.
wp_*posts
Fruit and Chile
This might sound strange, but many people love to sprinkle salt on fresh fruits like watermelon and papaya. But chile? Who wants spicy fruit??
Uh, we do. On a hot summer day, the most refreshing street food you’ll find in Mexico are cups of freshly sliced jícama, pineapple, mango and watermelon bathed in a chile limón sauce. It’s a simply divine bite of sweet, tart and spicy.
There are many creative ways to incorporate chile and fruits. Check out these watermelon paletas and this incredible mango gazpacho for starters.
wp_*posts
Pork and Pomegranate
This could be the Cousin It to chicken and chocolate. These are two foods that most people would never think to throw into a dish… except for a few nuns who lived in the town of Puebla. In 1821, they were tasked with preparing something special for the newly crowned emperor of Mexico, Agustín de Iturbide, who was passing through town on his way to the capital.
They ended up creating the famous Chiles en Nogada. The dish represents the colors of the Mexican flag: a green chile poblano stuffed with a mix of beef and pork picadillo; a white sauce made from walnuts; and for the red…. hmmmm… oh right, pomegranates! Because hey, they’re in season!
It’s a remarkable combination of ingredients and flavors, but it all comes together into a delicious plate of food that’s become one of Mexico’s most emblematic dishes.
wp_*posts
Avocado and Ice Cream
Move over, avocado toast. These days avocados are being prepared in all kinds of creative ways. Why? Because it works! Even on Hispanic Kitchen, you can find avocado fries and avocado chocolate mousse among the more typical avocado recipes.
But ice cream might be our favorite avocado-themed dessert. Creamy, dairy-free and surprisingly good, this dish lets you enjoy your favorite green fruit in a whole new way.
This article was republished with permission from HispanicKitchen.com
