From mint and chocolate to pineapple on pizza, there are tons of weird food combos that are normal today but were strange just a few decades ago! Now, newspaper USA Today seems to have invented a new, unusual food pairing: OREOs with mustard…
How Is That A Clue?
Brett Murphy, a journalist at USA Today, received a furious but funny message in his inbox recently. Usually, Murphy has to deal with people angry at an op-ed or correcting a factual error. However, this time around, the writer heard from a reader who felt extremely offended by the answer to a clue in one of USA Today’s crossword. The clue? “A cookie that some people eat with mustard.” The answer? Oreo. “Oreos and mustard—I can now inform you with learned experiential certainty are wretched,” the writer of the email letter explained.
“Who exactly are the “some people” who consume Oreos with mustard? I would like to have a word with them. If you could kindly provide their phone numbers and home mailing addresses, I would be most appreciative,” the angry reader continued. Still, they didn’t stop their hysterical tirade there! “I would also be very appreciative if you would kindly refund $0.14—the exact cost of the 4 Altoids I had to consume to get the taste out of my mouth—to my Venmo. I’m willing to forgive the cost of the Oreo: $0.18. The mustard was free.”
After Murphy published the email on Twitter, it quickly went viral. People found it absolutely hysterical! Still, many wondered: where did the clue come from, exactly?
A Long Investigation
While many across the world demanded answers, Murphy seemed to busy to actually check into the facts of how the clue came to be in the first place. Oreo also seemed somewhat confused about the viral email, tweeting out: “Adds mustard to list of unusual things people dunk OREO cookies into.”
Thankfully, in the era of the internet and social media, we never have to wait long for an answer to burning questions. Film critic and writer Josh Spiegel thought Oreos and mustard sounded familiar and decided to try and track it down. It seems as though it comes from the nonfiction book The Summer of ’72: Haight Ashbury to Alaska by Theodore Carl Soderberg.
“Did you know that Oreos taste better if you spread a little mustard on them?” Soderberg writes, before passing the treats out to his fellow sailors. Apparently, the vinegar mashes well with the sweetness, but most agreed to take the writer at his word. Believe it or not, this is just one of many odd food combinations many love…
Other Crazy Food Combos
From picked soaked in cherry juice and frozen to mustard on Oreo cookies, there are some strange flavor mash-ups people love. Here are a few others that have gone viral:
- Oreos and orange juice: Thought it was over with Oreos and mustard? Think again! After the Oreo and mustard story started trending, others admitted they liked Oreos dipped in orange juice! Those who enjoy it compare the taste to a gummy worm dipped in chocolate or those chocolate oranges so many grew up with!
- Peanut butter on a hamburger: While many will say yuck, some prefer just peanut butter on a burger, as opposed to green, ketchup, cheese, and the like. Apparently, it’s a perfect salty-sweet-savory combination!
- Honey or Nutella on cheese pizza: Sweet and savor seem to be the winning combo when it comes to flavor mash-ups. Many on Twitter also proclaimed love for honey or Nutella on cheese pizza, calling it similar to pineapple on pizza, without the acidity!
So, will mustard and Oreos join the ranks of these other famous food combos? Only time will tell! But, judging by Twitter’s reaction, probably not!
Sources: Buzzfeed, The Takeout, The Today Show.