The Origins of the Classiest Food Pairings

Where did some of the tastiest food pairings come from? The Foodista breaks six of them down for you.




Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Created: 1901

Created by: Julia Davis Chandler in Boston. Peanut butter was already eaten with sandwiches, which soon became the mode of eating food in the last decades of the nineteenth century. It was only natural that the bizarre combination of peanut butter and jelly become a classic combination.

Hot Dogs and Mustard
Created: Late 1600s

Created by: Johann Georghehner. The iconic hot dog has its roots in Germany and are today almost synonymous to the frankfurter and wiener. In the US, hot dogs were traditionally made from minced beef but today pork or even turkey and chicken are the most common. Because the ingredients of the hot dog are finely ground and enclosed in a casing it became almost impossible to determine the contents of a hot dog, leading the US government to pass a law mandating all hot dog makers to list their contents. The choppers and grinder used then were not safe and accidents were common. They said "if you lost one finger you were a great sausage maker, if you lost two you were magna cum laude. In the old days a lot of sausage makers had fingers missing".

Ice-cream and Soda
Created: Late 19th Century

Created by: Robert Green in Philadelphia. Green owned a soda shop in Philly and used carbonated water, syrup and cream to make his drinks. Legend has it, Green ran out of cream and replaced it with ice-cream. Soon after, his daily earnings rose from $6 to $600!

Eggs and Bacon

Created: 1800s among wealthy landowners but was popularized in the 1920s

Created by: Eggs and bacon was introduced to Edward Bernays by Sigmund Freud. When Bernays landed a job as a PR in a bacon company he sold it as "doctor-recommended breakfast" to boost sales.

Fish and chips

Created: 1860

Created by: Joseph Malin, a Jewish migrant in London. 

Fish and chips are a classic double act, yet they started life as solo performers. And their roots are not as British as you might think. Chips came as substitutes to fish from Belgium or France in the 17th Century when the rivers froze and nothing could be caught. Fried fish came from Portugal and was introduced to Britain by Jewish immigrants. The marriage between fish and chips, still brings about fierce controversy. 

Chili, Cheese and Fries

Created: 1988

Created by: The owners of Coney Dog in Chicago wanted to add some spice and bring in their Cincinnati tradition to this town and then came the chili cheese fries!