It would not be much of a stretch of the imagination to assume that most people have a set of rules when it comes to their food. Aside from the way it is prepared, we follow this “unofficial rulebook” that says certain foods should not mix.
However, it appears that there are certain combinations everyone will bend the rules for. These wacky food combinations break the “unofficial rulebook” of food, but students aren’t complaining.
Michael Thornwall, junior in business marketing, said that his favorite “weird” combination is mixing maple syrup in with his breakfast cereal.
“For breakfast, I like to get Cinnamon Toast Crunch, pour the milk on and then add maple syrup to the bowl,” Thornwall said. “It really just boils down to my fascination with maple syrup. Nothing tastes like it. You can’t compare it to anything.”
The idea of milk and maple syrup may be odd, since the two don’t sound like they would combine well. But, the two work already really well together on actual French toast. Thornwall’s recipe essentially creates French toast in a bowl: cinnamon and sugar on the cereal mixed with milk and finished with syrup on top. The only difference between Thornwall’s concoction and the real thing is that this time, it’s found in the breakfast bowl instead of the frying pan.
Another spin on this idea is mixing breakfast with dinner, or more specifically, dessert.
“I really like ice cream and cereal,” Kelby Burton, senior in architectural engineering, said. “What I do is mix Purple Pride ice cream from Call Hall with Cap’n Crunch Berries. I’ve been told that doing that is weird, because it makes the ice cream chunky. It gives it weird textures. I like it, because it’s sweet and crunchy.”
Texture is a peculiar problem that pops up now and again for many people. Some foods combinations have odd textures, like the usually smooth ice cream mixed with cereal, but they work. Why else would Woody Harrelson quest across the U.S. for a Twinkie in “Zombieland?” It’s because he hates the consistency of Sno Balls.
Skylar James, senior in computer engineering, said his weirdest food combination deals with the preparation of his pasta toppings.
“I think my weirdest combination is putting ranch dressing in with my spaghetti sauce,” James said.
Once again, texture is a deciding factor for James.
“The dressing gives the sauce a nice creamy texture and taste,” James said. “If it’s a meaty sauce, then it does not work out so well. But if it’s just tomato sauce, then it turns out good. It gives the sauce a good tangy taste.”
Texture plays a large role in combining ability of food. Like Burton, some people enjoy adding a crunch to their ice cream. Others remain unconvinced.
“I have heard of taking your French fries and dunking them in your (Wendy’s) Frosty,” James said. “I don’t do ice cream, so I haven’t done it. But I know a lot of people that do.”
Many people think dipping French fries in ice cream is odd, though many others still engage in the practice. Thornwall said the ice cream has to be the consistency of the Wendy’s Frosty and not another brand of fast food ice cream or ice cream from a store.
“To a certain extent, it has to be Wendy’s,” Thornwall said. “It’s the consistency of the Wendy’s Chocolate Frosty. You get that, and it just makes the sweet and salty combo.”
Burton said it also has the added appeal of alliteration.
“When I think about it, it’s a Frosty and French fries,” Burton said. “It’s not a milkshake and fries. So, you have to go to Wendy’s to get it. It’s pretty good. I like the salty and sweet combination, and chocolate is always a good thing.”