Tangled Tastebuds: Experimenting with Unusual Food Combinations
Part One - Peanut Butter & Pickle Sandwiches
I’ll admit it right up front - I was doom scrolling when I encountered a story about vintage sandwich pairings, featuring the peanut butter-and-pickle sandwich, and my mouth simultaneously watered and went dry. I just couldn’t seem to reconcile how I thought the sandwich might taste and I knew with no small amount of trepidation that I’m simply have to find out. This question sprouted a whole line of thought - what other “unusual” flavor combinations were out there, beloved but perhaps semi-forgotten? This is the first part in an irregular series where I’ll seek out and try some unusual pairings.
The Premise
At first blush, a peanut butter and pickle sandwich sounds like a oxymoron - why on earth would anyone think that these two foods - creamy, nutty, sweet peanut butter and savory, tart, salty dill pickle - could possibly go together?
Better than you may believe says a 2012 De Gustibus column for The New York Times. In the article, book critic Dwight Garner describes the power of the unlikely duo as:
“The vinegary snap of chilled pickle cuts, like a dash of irony, against the stoic unctuousness of peanut butter. The sandwich is a thrifty and unacknowledged American classic.”
The combination he says dates back to the American Depression when homemakers spooned a little pickle relish onto a peanut butter sandwich. We do know that relish composed of leftover/pickled vegetables was a long-standing culinary mainstay, and peanut butter was originally promoted as a healthy protein-rich food in the second half of the 19th century.
But while it is possible that peanut butter & pickle sandwiches were on the menu for frugal housewives, there aren’t many actual vintage recipes for such meaning that this was either a very word-of-mouth dish or simply that it was a more recent innovation. Either way, I was determined to try it.
The Set-Up
At this point, there are several recipes circulating on the Internet with each proclaiming to be the BEST peanut butter & pickle recipe. I read one and then decided to wing it.
Start off with some eater preferences:
Crunchy or smooth peanut butter
Natural or sweetened peanut butter
Dill or bread & butter pickles
Toasted or untoasted bread
I followed the path of least resistance and used the things I already had in my pantry: smooth peanut butter, dill pickle chips, and “oatnut” wheat bread. It took about 30 seconds to assemble.
The Result
Being the loving, generous spouse that I am, I offered to share with my husband, Hector, and he’s my husband because he rarely says no to trying something new. Besides, I thought it was important to have a second opinion.
We both thought that it would have a pronounced sweet/salty dichotomy.
First bite impression - not enough pickles, so we added a second layer
Second bite impression - actually pretty good and pretty close to what we were anticipating. The pickle slices added a nice bit of texture in a bite and while we thought that junky white bread might be better, the oatnut bread did play well with the peanut butter.
Still somehow it seemed like it just be better so the second half of the sandwich was upgraded with some Fritos. Now I’m not one to add chips/crisps to sandwiches, and I have a particular disdain for Fritos, but…
Third bite impression - O.M.G. delicious
We both agreed that Fritos plus pickles plus peanut butter was the unlikely moonshot with a perfect landing.
The Final Verdict
Would I make this again? Yes, but under the right circumstances (perhaps while slightly inebriated).
Seriously though, it would be fun to experiment with different peanut butters, pickled foods (why not pickled cauliflower), and types of bread (we’re a little obsessed with trying it with some fresh baked Challah).
After all, I don’t have anything to lose, except my lunch :D
Is there an unusual food combination or recipe that you’d like me to try so you don’t have to? Let me know in the comments!
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Next up... cinnamon pickles?
Wild! Love this. I recently had a waffle-bacon-egg-and peanut butter "sandwich" (while inebriated ;) and it was amazing.