Quick, Pandas, what’s the weirdest food combination that you love? Don’t think too hard about it, just say the first thing that pops into your mind. For us, it’s probably melon with ham and (alas!) pineapple on pizza. Delicious? Definitely! But not everyone would agree. We can see some of you pulling faces already.

Redditor u/wildwoodflower_ started up a scrumptiuosly fun thread on r/AskReddit after asking people about the food combos that they absolutely love, but others think are quite bizarre, and they gladly spilled the beans. Scroll down for some weird gastronomic inspo for your next meal.

We wanted to learn more about how different flavors work together, so we reached out to pie artist Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin, @thePieous. She explained how in the right hands, it's possible to make any combinations work together, however, some are far more difficult to get right. She also revealed the most unusual pie flavors she's ever tried! Read on for Bored Panda's interview with the pie artist.

#1

One of my grandmothers used to like stuffing a few pretzel sticks down a banana. Salt and the crunch with the banana is a surprisingly decent mix of texture and flavor. She called it "Bananas with bones"

Image credits: EffyewMoney

#2

Love a pepperoni AND pineapple pizza.

Image credits: stabyourcat

#3

I always get strange looks when I put peanut butter with my waffles and syrup.

Image credits: Daillestemcee

Pie artist Jessica, @thePieous, told Bored Panda that we should never say "never" to any flavor combinations. "In the right hands, it is technically possible to make almost any two flavors play nicely together with the correct balance of volume and accompanying supporting flavors, textures, and elements like spice and temperature," she explained. There is a caveat, however!

"That said, in general one wants to avoid pairing two really intense flavors together like coffee, mint, and citrus because it can be hard for the palate to separate out the flavors—almost like listening to two different songs written in different tempos at the same time. But outside of those big, smack-you-over-the-head flavors, pairing unusual ingredients together becomes a simpler matter."

The baking expert noted that you have to look at the basic elements that make up an ingredient's flavor profile: how sweet, salty, or bitter it is. You then check to see if all the other ingredients you've selected will work together at that level. "A bit of sweet can bring out the umami and saltiness in other dishes. A bit of salt can tame the sweetness in a sugary dish and make it easier to appreciate the complexity of flavors beneath all the sugar. And that sugar or salt doesn’t have to be presented in the basic forms of table salt and granulated sugar."

#4

a sandwich that's just tomato and mayo. Toasted bread for the best experience

#5

I put honey on fried chicken. Learned it from my dad. Everyone that witnesses it is thrown off by it, but it's delicious.

Image credits: RevaniteN7

#6

About to gross alot of people out lol. Drained tuna fish with Mac n cheese. Like mixed together. Started doing that like 17 years ago when I was weight lifting in high school. I dunno I love it lol

Image credits: brassybeard-c137

For example, if you were making salted white fish and wanted to introduce a dash of sweetness into the dish, you could do that with dark chocolate! Jessica pointed out that it sounds weird, but it actually works (and we're genuinely curious to try it out firsthand). Or, if you want to add a dash of salt to your caramel ice cream, you could even add diced pickles. "It may sound gross on paper… but it really just tastes like salted caramel. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!" @thePieous urged everyone to try it out for themselves.

"Fatty ingredients like avocado and mayonnaise that have very mild flavors can be used to substitute oils and solid fats in almost any sweet dish. We get so used to certain pairings of ingredients, especially in the West, that we forget there are myriad other ways to bring sweetness, salt, acid, spice, and fat together into tasty new medleys."

#7

Apparently non Americans really get grossed out when we dip our French fries in our chocolate shake.

Image credits: tohara1995

#8

Pancakes with lemon juice and sugar. Picked up the taste in England and can’t put it down

#9

Sweetcorn on my pizza

Image credits: Penguinar

Bored Panda was also incredibly curious about the oddest flavor combos that Jessica has tried out while baking her pies. She told us that she hasn't ventured too far into the avant-garde realm with her pies. "But I do enjoy melted cheddar on apple pie, and I’ve added a dash of maple syrup to my charred bacon mac n cheese pies before… and it’s damn good!"

According to Jessica, someone who is really pushing the limits of flavor combinations is her friend, food historian Ken Albala. He's doing this daily "with his fruity, spicy, pâtés and fascinating arrays of boundary-pushing tapas." She quipped: "I’m not sure I’d be as brave as he is to try his 'fried rice turkey balls with pickled escarole, manchego, and umeboshi paste' appies, but maybe I don’t know what I’m missing!"

#10

As a child I used to eat apple sauce mixed with cottage cheese.

Image credits: Firstnaymlastnaym

#11

I'll go first, everyone thinks I'm insane bc I love fries with mustard NOT ketchup

#12

Salt on watermelon

Image credits: Tony_from_Space

The redditor’s thread was a roaring success. At the time of writing, it had 12k upvotes. But the real victory was getting people to reveal all of the peculiar things that they love to eat! Food is a popular topic any day of the week because it’s something that we all do. What’s different, however, is what we enjoy the most and what our relationship with cooking is.

Some people go on to cook exactly the same foods as their parents and grandparents because food traditions are a way to stay connected to older generations. Others, however, might cook different dishes but keep the same flavor profiles as they enjoyed back when they were young. Still, others might focus on nutrition more than taste and go for quick and healthy meals (not that they can’t be mouth-watering either; they certainly can be). It all really depends on each person.

There’s a lot of room for individuality and expression in cooking. Especially considering that we all have slightly different tastes and come from varying cultural backgrounds. Some of us, like yours truly, prefer really strong flavor profiles that leave a powerful impact: super sweet, salty, spicy—it doesn’t matter, just give me an experience. However, this doesn’t work for everyone.

Others might prefer more subtlety and nuance in their dishes. Think artisanal 70% cacao chocolate instead of peanut butter and milk chocolate milkshakes… and here I am, craving the latter.

#13

Sharp cheddar melted over the top of a slice of warm apple pie.

Image credits: RobHuck

#14

I enjoy nacho cheese Doritos with cottage cheese as dip.

Image credits: PilotBurner44

#15

I like making PB&J with tortillas, I spread it on then roll it up, it reminds me of those Smuckers uncrustables but better.

Image credits: Dude_Baby

What really matters is how the flavors work together (or don’t!). Some food combos sound absolutely atrocious on paper but are divine in practice. Similarly, others should work in theory but end up turning a lot of people’s stomachs.

There will always be someone who enjoys even the most bizarre combos, but it’d be naive to think that your pickle-jam-mayo-cherry bonanza is going to be a crowd-pleaser in the same way a simple cheeseburger might be.

Broadly speaking, taste combos like sweet and savory work great. As do sweet and sour ones! (That’s why many of us enjoy sweet and sour chicken, as well as the infamous pineapple and ham combo on pizza.) It all comes down to how brave and open to new experiences you are.

If you work up the courage to take a bite out of something that sounds weird, you might end up pleasantly surprised. Heck, who knows, it might become your new favorite cheat meal.

#16

Cheese and honey is the best thing on this planet

#17

I like potato chips and tuna salad. Sometimes if I'm lazy I'll literally throw my potato chips into a bowl of tuna salad and have a delicious salty crunch with each bite of tuna

#18

Pickled watermelon.

Image credits: Ghedenibo_Lux

#19

Being British you can divide the country with Marmite with anything.

#20

Tuna sandwich with bbq chips inside.

Image credits: illcrx

#21

Peanut butter and pickle sandwiches.

Image credits: Bo-ohw_O_Wo-er

#22

Not me but a close friend: fried eggs with strawberry jam

Image credits: Temporary-Patient-47

#23

Seattle dogs are my jam, hotdog with cream cheese and caramelized onions

#24

Sausage McMuffin with hash brown and grape jelly.

I assumed this was pretty common, but I have never come across another person who does this. most people think it's gross.

Image credits: run66

#25

Chili with a cinnamon roll.

Image credits: MrDover2112

#26

Fries dipped in mashed potatoes and gravy

Also not my invention but peanut butter, dill pickles, and Mayo on toasted bread is so shockingly good

#27

Okay, this is something I got from my family who is from another country.

Hear me out,

Yogurt, and rice.

Plain yogurt to be exact, and can be Greek or regular. Slaps.

#28

Med rare steak and dark chocolate....not dripping with chocolate just a tiny bit. It just tastes good ngl.

#29

I always make my eggs with garlic. Either I sauté some minced garlic, then add the eggs, or I add garlic powder, or I cook my eggs in a garlic-infused olive oil. They just taste better!

Then I put them on toast with strawberry jam, or put some strawberry jam on top and mix it in if there’s no bread.

#30

Potato chips and spaghettios. I’ll eats chips without spaghettios, but never spaghettios without chips. Also, must be Lays. I rarely eat this anymore but when I do, I always snap a pic to send to my sister cause it’s our thing.

#31

Sandwich with peanut butter, bacon, tomato, and onion. My dad does it, and I’m hooked now.

#32

Warm milk with pepper and cinnamon. I love it

#33

I used to eat tuna and spicy v8 like every day my first year in college. It gave me some paint peeling gas that almost killed my roommate. 20 years later, I still get s**t for that.

#34

Mint and peanut butter ice cream. It's fr so good

#35

Salt and vinegar chips with chocolate raisins mixed into the bag.

#36

Cheerios and orange juice instead of milk.

Image credits: alfygnosis

#37

Milk and spicy ramen

#38

Mayonnaise on pizza, literally spread on top.

#39

Not me, but my partner frequently makes a peanut butter and onion sandwich…

#40

Soup with banana. Double fisting. bite of banana, bite of soup. Colombians understand.

Image credits: No_Divide9410