There are certain food and drink combos that are evergreen and have defined food culture in the country for centuries. Here are 8 of the most popular food and liquid combinations.
Coffee and donuts
This pastry and beverage combination is a staple mid-morning favorite in the country, and for a reason. Just sipping coffee without a donut accompanying it might even seem uncharacteristic. The sugary taste of the donut is balanced by the bitter coffee flavor. In 2010, the University of Barcelona came to the conclusion that the glucose and caffeine pairing can improve memory and attention spans, after testing the combination on a variety of volunteers.
Bratwurst and beer
This combination is everyone’s favorite. Bratwursts are simmered in a mixture of beer, onions, and seasonings, and are cooked on a grill before being served, often at football parties and tailgates. However, bratwurst can be also be consumed as a complement to beer. But whatever way you combine the two, the result is a gastronomic high.
Burgers and milkshakes
Popular across all demographics, this food and drinks combo is undoubtedly one of the best. Burgers and milkshakes are ideal examples of comfort foods. This particular combination symbolizes abundance and luxury. The meal is usually accompanied with French fries.
Oatmeal and orange juice
At first thought, orange juice and oatmeal may seem like a tasty breakfast staple with a broad appeal. People who eat this combo begin their day with a dose of good health. It might be common knowledge that orange juice is rich in Vitamin C, but a study by the country’s agriculture department has shown that pairing it with oatmeal helps clean the arteries efficiently.
Beer and chicken wings
No Superbowl party or football tailgate is complete without beer and chicken wings — this is how much the combo is integral to the country’s sports culture. You may be tempted to just try some wings and open a Bud. But there can be more effective pairings within the combination itself: classic Buffalo wings with Brooklyn lager, spicy and hot wings with pilsner beer, Asian-type wings and Belgian tripel.
Tea and fried chicken
Drinking tea after some crispy and delicious fried chicken is a classic southern tradition. Tea has antioxidants, which washes away the oil and chicken residues stuck in the windpipe and improves metabolism.
Red wine and steak
Steak is preferred with red wine because bold flavors like spice, plum, cherry, or black currant perfectly complement rich, dark meat. Pinot Noir and Merlots are often accompanied with beef dishes for the same reason. Medically speaking, molecules in red wine called tannins soften the fat in the meat to release its flavor.
Milk and cookies
This ageless food and drink combine has become so common that “milk and cookies” is now a generic term. Though it is primarily children’s favorite form of snack, adults also indulge in this nostalgic comfort food that has great health benefits. Children particularly love to soak the cookies by dunking them into the cold, creamy glasses of milk.
