1609: Food Combinations

2015-11-27T21:50:46Z

Poon stick: /* Table of traditional pairings */

{{comic
| number = 1609
| date = November 27, 2015
| title = Food Combinations
| image = food_combinations.png
| titletext = If anyone tries this on you, the best reply is a deadpan "Oh yeah, that's a common potato chip flavor in Canada."
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Needs fact checking and some expansion. - Please change this comment when editing this page.}}

[http://www.rd.com/funny/21-weird-food-combinations-and-obsessions/ Unusual food combinations] are often counter-intuitive and can vary wildly by individual taste. Real-world examples of unusual food pairings, such as [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/dining/making-a-meal-out-of-peanut-butter-and-pickles.html pickles and peanut butter], french fries in chocolate shake, or even the comfort-food pairing of {{w|chicken and waffles}}, pair sweet, sour, or salty foods with a food or condiment from a different group. In many "normal" food pairings, though, the cross-over between sweet, savory and salty foods also exists, such as ketchup, a very sweet condiment being regularly applied to hamburgers and french fries, both savory and salty foods.

In this comic, [[Randall]] lists twelve somewhat random food items. He then suggests that by using the right tone of voice, you can put any pair of these foods together as an "actually really good" food combination, no one will challenged you on it. This can either because they have likely heard, or tried other unexpected combinations that are highly recommended or liked. But it could also just be because they are polite, or did not really think about what you said due to you tone of voice. Or maybe they are like {{w|Joey Tribbiani|Joey}} from {{w|Friends}} who love any combination as long as it is something he think is good by it self - see [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSFgDZJVYbo this clip].

The title text extends the joke by recommending countering such a bizarre proposal with an assertion that the random pairing announced is an actual potato chip flavor popular in Canada. This plays on the fact that in different countries and regions, cultural tastes can vary wildly. For instance, [http://www.buzzfeed.com/tanyachen/americans-taste-canadian-ketchup-all-dressed-chips ketchup flavored potato chips] are quite popular in Canada, but are almost never offered in US markets. Lowblaws and {{w|Lay's}} have run potato chips flavor competition in Canda in 2013-15 with flavors such as Maple Moose, Bacon Poutine, Jalapeño Mac N' Cheese, Cowboy BBQ Beans.

===Table of traditional pairings===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Traditional pairings found in the list of combinations
!
! Ice Cream
! Ham
! Relish
! Pancakes
! Ketchup
! Cheese
! Eggs
! Cupcakes
! Sour Cream
! Hot Chocolate
! Avocado
! Skittles
|-
| {{w|Ice Cream}}
| x
|
|
| ✓
|
|
|
| ✓
|
| ✓
|
| ✓
|-
| {{w|Ham}}
|
| x
|
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
|
|
| ✓
|
|-
| {{w|Relish}}
|
|
| x
|
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Pancakes}}
| ✓
| ✓
|
| x
|
| ✓
| ✓
|
|
| ✓
|
|
|-
| {{w|Ketchup}}
|
| ✓
| ✓
|
| x
| ✓
| ✓
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| {{w|Cheese}}
|
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
|
| x
| ✓
|
|
|
| ✓
|
|-
| {{w|Egg (food)|Eggs}}
|
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
| ✓
| x
|
| ✓
|
| ✓
|
|-
| {{w|Cupcakes}}
| ✓
|
|
|
|
|
|
| x
|
| ✓
|
| ✓
|-
| {{w|Sour Cream}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ✓
|
| x
|
| ✓
|
|-
| {{w|Hot Chocolate}}
| ✓
|
|
| ✓
|
|
|
| ✓
|
| x
|
|
|-
| {{w|Avocado}}
|
| ✓
|
|
|
| ✓
| ✓
|
| ✓
|
| x
|
|-
| {{w|Skittles (confectionery)|Skittles}}
| ✓
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ✓
|
|
|
| x
|}

==Transcript==
:[Megan is talking with Ponytail and Cueball, who has his hand to his chin. Above them in 4x3 black boxes different kind of food is written in white text].

:Ice cream Ham Relish
:Pancakes Ketchup Cheese
:Eggs Cupcakes Sour cream
:Hot chocolate Avocado Skittles

:Megan: You know what's actually really good?
:Megan: ____ and ____.
:<font color="white">Megan:</font> food <font color="white">and</font> food

:Cueball: Huh. I Guess I can see it.

:[Caption below the panel.]
:Fun fact: if you say "you know what's
:actually really good?" in the right
:tone of voice, you can name any
:two individually-good foods here
:and no one will challenge you one it.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Fun fact]]

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

1609: Food Combinations