Strange food combinations and why we like them so much

The 1st time Julie Cameron’s sister encouraged her to attempt bitter cream on her Xmas pudding she was sceptical, but it was a magical instant.  

That was six years in the past and she hasn’t eaten pudding with custard again.

“It sort of cuts the sugar, [it] will not make it as sickly … and it’s sort of tangy,” she claims.  

Ms Cameron’s story demonstrates these of individuals all-around the place who have their own unique recipes that they enjoy in spite of scepticism from friends.

Mackay resident Gina Davies found her go-to recipe by accident.

Decades back though generating a sandwich, she unintentionally topped it with equally Vegemite and honey.

Ms Davies has been hooked ever considering that, but the reactions from people all over her counsel her creation just isn’t for everybody, even with the wellbeing rewards.

“You get your vitamin B and a organic antibiotic at the identical time,” Ms Davies claimed.

When ABC Tropical North requested audiences to share their favorite weird food combinations — ones that audio revolting but basically flavor incredible — hundreds of men and women had been eager to post their unusual gastronomic secrets and techniques. 

So why do so many folks swear by food combinations that others discover nauseating?

Tomato with ice cream on a plate
How about tomatoes on ice product?(ABC Tropical North: Tegan Philpott)

The excellent old times

Food items memory may be a cause why individuals gravitate to certain combinations, according to psychologist Kelly Anderson.

“Food items is the major reinforcer of memory,” Ms Anderson says.

If we ate a little something as a youngster at a time of happiness or protection, our brains would subconsciously associate that food items with people fantastic times and it would appear pleasant to us, she said.

“And like something in our life, it can be a blend of a complete heap of matters likely on in the environment, and our mind stores it as a picture, and then when some thing arrives up that hits all these buttons at the similar time, it provides up that memory,” she explained.

“For anyone else who has not had that encounter, they are not going to have individuals exact same inner thoughts all-around that foodstuff.”

Unusual but healthful

Retired college health lecturer Peter Upton said mixing appealing meals could bring dietary gains.

“If I’m heading to take in some thing and I know it truly is not heading to give me all the things that I want in that food, then I will try out to put things in that will enhance each and every other,” Mr Upton suggests.

“Vegemite has specific parts that are definitely good. It’s high in all the B-team natural vitamins and they are crucial for you.

“But it would not have a great deal of fats, while avocado has obtained a great deal of truly superior wholesome fats, so I set them with each other and they enhance just about every other.”

A jam and Vegemite sandwich in front of the product jars.
A jam and Vegemite sandwich anyone?(ABC Tropical North: Tegan Philpott)

Mr Upton additional, having said that, that it was still a total thriller how any individual could enjoy Vegemite and honey collectively.

“I’d set Sherlock on it,” he stated.

The extremely sugary mix of a strawberry jam and Nutella sandwich — a go-to favourite of Nathan Brayshaw from the Gold Coastline — possibly would not fare much far better in the healthy eating plan stakes.

But Mr Brayshaw swears by it.

“It is really strawberry and it really is chocolate and it is bread, what else is there to love?” he says.

“If I inform somebody who will not know me, they glimpse at me like ‘Why would you want to do that?’.

“But I reckon they go house and attempt it.”

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