I’ll make that a combo with extra fries

Fritos and chocolate soda. What do these two foods have in common?

Well, I find them delicious when I consume them together. It began in elementary school with one of my closest friends. She came over to my house with a bag of Fritos, and we went on to make chocolate sodas, using the Fritos to dip into the chocolate foam at the top of the glasses.

It’s definitely one of the weirdest combinations I’ve ever tried, but for some reason, I find it marvelous.

I’m certainly not the first person to try strange food combinations, and I won’t be the last.

Culinary explorers, especially chefs, often imagine that two or more flavors can perfectly complement each other, even if they don’t seem like they can.
But you don’t have to be trained in the culinary arts to appreciate these different food combinations.

Chocolate and bacon —This has turned into a bit of a national trend, turning up in more haute-cuisine dishes and desserts. I tried a bacon-chocolate bar a few years ago. While I didn’t fully enjoy it, I’ve come to appreciate the two flavors working together.

The saltiness of the bacon plays off of the sweetness of the chocolate, while the crunchy and smooth textures of both foods awaken the mouth.

Still don’t understand it? Vosges Haut-chocolat founder, owner and chocolatier Katrina Markoff said she had inspiration for her own bacon-chocolate bar from her obsession of bacon and chocolate chip pancakes when she was a child.

Apple pie and cheese — If you’ve seen the film “Thank You For Smoking,” you probably have an idea of what I’m talking about.

Many pie lovers have taken to putting slices of cheese on top of pie and letting it melt before digging in. I’ve heard you can use several cheeses, from Brie to American to cheddar, but American seems to be the most popular. I’ve never tried this combination, but I can understand how it works and how it came to be.

The salt from the cheese works with the sweet and buttery tastes of the pie, and the dish itself is not far off from a simple fruit-and-cheese dish.
Another variation that I’ve seen is putting a cheddar-like cheese into the crust to add flavor.

French fries and milkshakes — More specifically, Wendy’s fries dipped in a Wendy’s Frosty.
I can’t think of anyone I know who doesn’t like this combination. And what’s not to like? You have the steaming hot, salty, freshly-made french fry, going off against the cold, creamy, thick milkshake.

The milkshake becomes a sort of ice-cream coating, and the fry stays crunchy and warm. The next time you have fries and a milkshake, especially at Wendy’s, give it a try.

Grilled cheese and ketchup — It took me a while to wrap my mind around this one, but once I tried it I became hooked.

This combo tends to work best when the ketchup is cold and the sandwich is almost too hot to pick up, making it similar to the fresh french fries and milkshake I mentioned.

It’s pretty much like dipping your grilled cheese in a sweeter, thicker tomato soup.
I realize some people don’t even like their soup and sandwich to ever touch, but this combination is pretty classic. Just try it, you might end up loving it.

Don’t be afraid to rediscover flavors by joining them together.