Have you ever had a chocolate Mars bar first thing in the morning, spread peanut butter on pickles, or stuffed yourself with mashed potatoes? If the answer is yes, you might be considered a “food criminal” on the Internet.
Food crimes are thought of as odd flavor combinations, such as tuna with sliced grapes or unappetizing meals like boiled mushy meat, or poor presentation of food. Food crimes can also include how food is eaten (such as biting into the batter on a chicken nugget first and then eating the chicken separately), when it is eaten (such as steak for breakfast), or how food is prepared or cooked (such as cutting onions with a steak knife).
Horrible food combinations
The trend has exploded on TikTok, with over 105 million posts, leading nine in 10 Australians to say they are aware of food crime (according to Heinz, which conducted a survey on the subject). Some of the most popular videos include one in which a woman puts peanut butter on pickles, mustard on watermelon, and expresses a desire to put honey on McDonald’s fries while pregnant.
The trend has even made it onto morning TV shows, Today’s Special Issue Hosts Sylvia Jeffries, Richard Wilkins and Davina Smith try their hand at Kit Kat tomato sauce, a combination that has truly divided opinions among people around the world.
“Horrible, I hate it,” Sylvia said after a bite. “Horrible! Tomato sauce goes well with sausage.”
Meanwhile, Australian radio presenter Hope Endean spoke of food crimes she witnessed when a friend “carefully” took a bite of a Crunchie bar and ate a chunk of honey separately – and how she had seen a colleague eat mashed potatoes for breakfast at 6am.
In the comments section of her TikTok video, others shared their own examples.
One commenter said that, like the radio presenter’s friend, he eats the chocolate from a Mars bar first, then eats the caramel and nougat separately, another said he puts tomato sauce on his eggs, and a third admitted to spreading mashed potato on garlic bread.
Some brands are capitalizing on this phenomenon to get people to act and not just speak. For example, Heinz is launching a new collection of mayonnaise flavors, including Sweet Chocolate Mayonnaise.
Related:
Why strange food combinations actually work
Former Aria chef Alex Landon-Harmer isn’t surprised the food crime trend is gaining popularity, given that some of the most popular shows on Australian TV are set in the kitchen.bear Anyone?)
But it’s chef Gordon Ramsay’s approach that has perhaps been the most influential, he says.
“Gordon Ramsay’s harsh but fair judgments have become the norm for some, with more people criticising strange flavour combinations, unappetising meals and ‘food crimes’ than ever before,” Landon Harmer said.
While it’s easy to criticize people’s dietary choices and, on the surface, it seems pretty common, Landon Harmer says there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to determining what is and isn’t a food crime.
“The important thing to remember is that our tastes are as complex as we are, and often change with culture, age, geography and the flavors we are exposed to. What I would consider a crime against my taste buds may be someone else’s dream final meal.”
Plus, he said, sometimes odd food combinations work, especially when pairing sweet with salty.
“Avocado chocolate brownies, olive oil ice cream, peanut butter and bacon burgers and even beets and chocolate – TikTok creators have come up with delicious recipes that have garnered significant followings online,” he says.
Some food combinations “should not be eaten together”
However, there are some combinations that “should never see the light of day.”
“I think flavor combinations that shouldn’t go together are either a no-no – either ones that disrupt the structural integrity of the ingredients or ones that have opposing flavors,” Alex says. “For example, mixing milk with lemon juice will cause it to curdle, or crazy combinations like canned tuna with apricot jelly are a no-no.”
When it comes to food crimes involving the eating of certain foods or dishes, some of the best videos come from celebrities, such as Kourtney Kardashian’s bizarre way of eating a Kit Kat or her sister Khloe’s iconic salad shake. But this controversial ice cream eating tutorial is also raising eyebrows and generating a lot of commentary.
“My sensitive teeth are screaming just watching this,” one viewer replied.
“I don’t think any of these methods are normal,” another wrote.
Heinz research found that two-fifths of Australians have witnessed food crime first-hand, with 28% feeling embarrassed, 26% appalled and 23% shocked by what they saw.
This is certainly true on Reddit, where people share thousands of posts about food crimes they’ve witnessed or committed themselves.
“I use ketchup as a base for pizza and pasta sauces,” one person posted.
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“I grew up with a mother who put butter and white sugar on rice,” said another.
Or, at least to me, a nauseating third-person comment: “I once had a roommate who, whenever a bottle of sauce was about 2/3 empty, he would fill it with water and shake it up “so he wouldn’t waste money.” I thought that was really gross.”
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