Food heaven or food hell – pineapple on pizza remains a much-debated choice. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Food heaven or food hell – pineapple on pizza remains a much-debated choice. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Food preferences are deeply personal and cultural, with some combinations being highly divisive.
Chefs and food entrepreneurs embrace unusual pairings, highlighting the creativity and individuality in culinary choices.
Taste quirks often reflect identity, shaped by family habits, cultural backgrounds and personal experiences.
First of all, what is a “food crime”? Put simply, it’s that one dish everyone secretly adores – but eaten in company, it reliably earns a raised eyebrow, if not an outright gag.
French fries dipped in soft serve. Baked beans cold from the can. Ketchup on scrambled eggs. Raw two-minute noodles. Pineapple on pizza. Coriander. All are highly divisive examples of one person’s food heaven, another’s culinary hell.
Food preferences are deeply personal, cultural and emotional – but some combinations are so unexpected, they can stop others in their tracks.
Zennon Wijlens, chef and co-owner of Paris Butter in Auckland, takes a diplomatic approach. “I’m a big believer that people should be able to eat what they like, and sometimes the strangest combos do have their place ... ” he says.
Of course, everyone has their breaking point. “My wife’s obsession with Marmite and strawberry jam on the same piece of toast definitely tests my limits. If we were dishing out criminal charges, that one might carry a heavy sentence."
Joanna Lumley, of all people, counts herself a fan of eating cold baked beans straight from the can. Photo / Bradley Ambrose
His own food quirks are a little more snack-based. “The weirdest one I’ve personally been called out for (by Catherine [his wife]) is mixing mini bags of Twisties and popcorn in the same bowl – I call it culinary genius, but apparently not everyone agrees."
For some, unusual combinations aren’t just a habit – they’re a business model. Hannah Engelsman, founder of gelato parlour ‘Lil Lato, has scooped flavours ranging from peanut butter and kimchi to cheese and crackers.
“Massaman curry with salted butterscotch gelato isn’t a regular flavour, but it’s definitely something we’ve seen requested,” she says.
Her personal preferences are relatively tame by comparison. Banana and peanut butter on toast, or avocado with Vegemite, are firm favourites. One habit that occasionally earns a puzzled look: adding oat milk to herbal teas or plain hot water.
Coriander haters look away – Little 'Lato's coriander and lime sorbet is for fans of this polarising herb only.
Breaking the rules, however, is often where innovation begins. The sisters behind plant-based business Two Raw Sisters, Margo and Rosa Flanagan, embrace unexpected pairings in their food philosophy: cheese and apple, chocolate and miso, even frozen cauliflower in smoothies.
But Margo Flanagan has her own line in the sand. “For me, personally, the real food combo crime is definitely French fries dipped in soft serve.”
Cultural context matters
Taste quirks don’t emerge from a vacuum – they’re shaped by culture, family and upbringing. In many countries, strong-tasting fish, fermented products or intense condiments are part of daily life. But removed from their cultural context, they can seem alien or even offputting.
Petra Galler, baker and author of the cookbook Butter Butter, remembers school lunches being a site of scrutiny. “My dad’s Polish and used to send me to school with tins of sardines, which garnered a lot of unwanted attention and sneers from classmates,” she recalls.
These days, Galler’s baking draws queues rather than quips. But she still has her indulgences. “I eat butter by the spoonful, which is at least very on-brand,” she says. “Also, I have a passionate love for yoghurt and Cocoa Pops. And I demolish packets and packets of cheap, nasty processed ham – something about it is so comforting.”
It’s her best friend Ella, though, who really crosses the line for her. “She makes the most chaotic sandwiches and her combinations have literally revolted me since we were 15. She will pile on peanut butter, hummus, kimchi, tofu, Vegemite and beetroot to construct a total abomination. It’s offensive,” she laughs.
Still, one person’s crime is another’s comfort. Wijlens says pineapple on pizza – a famously divisive choice – barely registers for him. “My Italian friends would probably disown me, but I don’t even blink when I see it anymore.”
Taste is identity
What we eat, how we eat it and what we secretly love all reflect parts of who we are. These so-called crimes often emerge from family habits, childhood memories, cultural backgrounds or sheer curiosity. And while we might side-eye someone’s sardines or judge their Marmite-and-jam toast, we also understand the comfort and individuality those choices represent.
In an age where food trends can go viral in seconds and a single TikTok can make or break a flavour combination, the line between “gross” and “genius” is thinner than ever. What once drew ridicule may tomorrow be sold as small-batch, artisanal fusion.
So, next time you’re tempted to wrinkle your nose at someone’s choice of lunch, consider that your own comfort food might be their culinary nightmare. There’s room for all sorts at the table – even if it’s Twisties and popcorn in the same bowl.
