Peanut butter and pickles, fries and a milkshake, chocolate and potato chips, or even the controversial pineapple and pizza. Weird food combinations exist everywhere, and people integrate them in day-to-day life. However, what is the science behind these combos? Are there some foods that are meant to go together based on statistics?

     According to psychologist Kelly Anderson, who studies behavior patterns, one reason for this is because “our brains subconsciously associate that food with good times we had, and it would appear pleasant.” She adds, “Whenever something comes up that hits all those buttons at the same time, it brings up that memory.” This reasoning can prove that having two foods with enjoyable tastes separately could create an even better one in return when combined. This idea is shown in the movie Ratatouille, where Remy tries strawberries and cheese together after liking them both separately. The combination of the flavors is one that he ended up greatly enjoying.

     Many people at NH have found themselves enjoying strange food combinations.  Sophomore Autumn Upson likes Goldfish and chocolate chips to get a sweet and salty snack. Likewise, junior Kavin Carter enjoys carrots and milkshakes to be “healthy and unhealthy at the same time.” There also seems to be many Doritos combinations such as senior Emily Vaughn, who likes Doritos and cream cheese or junior Emma Naik, who enjoys Doritos and sour cream.

     According to bcbstwelltuned.com, food combinations can also be affected by the compounds in these foods and the chemical elements that make up these foods can determine if they pair well with food with similar makeup. Some examples of food that share chemical compounds that go well together are bread, tomatoes, cheese, or apples and honey. 

      This doesn’t mean that foods with similar chemical makeup will work together, but it gives us something to work off of; examples include chicken and strawberries, or cranberries and avocado. It’s also important to balance food with flavors of sour, sweet, savory, and bitter to get a deep or more rounded meal or combinations, even if it’s just a drizzle of honey for sweet or a squirt of lime for sour.