We are all used to the traditional food combos: milk and oreos, ice-cream and warm brownies, steak and barbeque sauce. What happens when a twist is thrown in the mix? Ice cream and barbeque sauce? Oreos and steak? The possibilities are endless. In search of the weirdest food combos, we interviewed the teachers and students of West Ottawa. Here’s what they brought to the table. 

   Beets and Cottage Cheese ☆☆☆☆☆

  Instructor Teresa McCrumb suggested cottage cheese and beets. At first glance, we expected the combo to be horrible; we were correct. The food mixed together looked bad, smelled bad, and tasted bad. This was not a complete shock, but we had a little more faith for the combo to be better. The beets overpowered the cottage cheese. The flavors simply failed to mix. The two very different textures were hard to swallow. Milk clumps and pickled jelly do not go well together. We would rather sit in a bucket of spiders than eat beets and cottage cheese again. 

Black Olives, Shredded Cheese and Rice ★☆☆☆☆

   Sr. Violet Jones suggested this light snack as her weird combo. We expected it to be salty, but to our surprise, the taste was very bitter. The smell of the olives was okay at first but after warming up the dish, the smell was repulsive. The combo smelled like dirty socks. We each immediately spit the food out after the first bite. In all, the combo was disgusting.

Cottage Cheese and Baked Beans ★★★★☆

   According to a survey we distributed, an anonymous junior eats this combo. In all honesty, it could have been rated five stars if it weren’t for its looks. Going in we expected the combo to be gross considering its image. The combo looked like dog puke and the thought of mixing baked beans and cottage cheese was repelling;our opinion changed after the first bite.The flavor was delicious. We were able to taste both the beans and the cottage cheese on its own despite being mixed. We wouldn’t voluntarily combine the cottage cheese and beans, but if they mixed by accident it would not be the end of the world. We would eat it again.

Honey, eggs, and pineapple ☆☆☆☆☆

   An anonymous wrestler suggested this abominable combo. With the acidic pineapple and sweet honey, this dish seemed like it would taste fine. Eggs don’t have much flavor; they seem to go well with most foods. Therefore, we figured the eggs would contribute to texture. We had high hopes for this dish. We were disappointed. Honey, pineapple and eggs together tasted like acid reflux. The flavors did not mix well; it was absolutely horrendous. We immediately spit the combo out. These individual ingredients all have their benefits and nutrients, but they are definitely better off alone. At the very least, we thought it would taste decent. 

Peanut Butter and Hot Dogs ★★★☆☆

  Sr. Joshua Louks suggested this uncommon combo. “I don’t eat it anymore but I used to when I was little,” said Louks. This combo seemed unsavory at a glance, but as they say, never judge a book by its cover. Surprisingly, hot dogs and peanut butter are not horrible. The combo was overwhelmingly dry but the flavor was unexpected. The taste was weird at first, though the more we chewed, the better the flavor developed. The smokeyness from the hot dog mixed with the nuttyness from the peanut butter tasted similar to roasted cashews. This dish was pretty good, aside from the dryness.

 Milk, Pulp Orange Juice, Diet Coke, and Mountain Dew ☆☆☆☆☆

   Jr. Peter Slagh suggested this drink. Going into this, we did not know what to expect. Unsurprisingly, the drink tasted horrible. Imagine drinking spoiled milk with an acidic, carbonated, and sweet taste. That was the first flavor to hit our mouths. This drink is not recommended to anybody due to the sickening texture and taste. We would not be surprised if the combo landed someone in the hospital.

    Well West Ottawa, these food combos are definitely weird. After tasting all of them we do not think they will become a hit anytime soon. Although some combos tasted good, we’ve decided that just because foods can be put together does not always mean they should be. To enjoy at least half of the combos, an acquired taste and a strong stomach is needed. Feel free to try them but be prepared for the worst.