The Lindt Master Chocolatiers have analysed, scored and ranked the most delicious but unusual viral chocolate pairings.
Chocolate lovers are no strangers to indulgent pairings, but on social media, things are getting far more experimental. From savoury twists to unexpected textures, TikTok users are venturing into chocolate pairings. In response to this trend, the Lindt Master Chocolatiers have weighed in, revealing which unconventional combinations are surprisingly delicious, and which ones fall flat.
On the app, the search term “weird food combinations” has over 210 million posts, where millions of food enthusiasts try unusual ingredient pairings – from white chocolate and caviar to dark chocolate and tuna.
To help discover the best pairings, the Lindt Master Chocolatiers in the UK– their iconic chocolate experts – have done the hard work by creating a definitive ranking of the most viral and unusual chocolate combinations, highlighting in order which deliver the most surprisingly delicious results.
Lindt Chocolatiers’ Research
The Lindt Master Chocolatiers reviewed hundreds of TikTok videos tagged with #WeirdFoodCombosWithChocolate and #WeirdChocolateCombinations. Each pairing was evaluated and rated by the expert team based on how unusual yet tasty it was, considering both the level of surprise and the overall ‘taste harmony’.
Using these scores, each combination was placed on the ‘Lindt Unusual Pairing Scale’, where 1 is slightly surprising and 10 is delightfully outrageous.
The Most Unusual but Surprisingly Delicious Pairings
Based on the ranking, the top Unusual Pairing Scale was caviar, which scored a perfect 10 out of 10. According to the Master Chocolatiers, “the salty flavour of the caviar complements the creamy sweetness of white chocolate specifically”, encouraging chocolate lovers to swap traditional blinis for this luxurious combination.
This was closely followed by french fries, which scored nine overall for being “the ultimate blend of sweet and salty”. When hot French fries are dipped in a chocolate hazelnut spread, the rich, creamy texture of the spread balances the fries’ crispiness. The warmth of the fries also slightly melts the spread, making it a satisfying alternative for those with a sweet tooth.
Third on the list was tuna. While some TikTok users have been smothering canned tuna in chocolate hazelnut spread, the Master Chocolatiers recommend “incorporating the chocolate into a rub, glaze, or sauce for tuna steak instead”.
At the bottom of the Unusual Pairing Scale was beetroot. While the combination is unexpected, beetroot has occasionally been used in vegan baking, as its natural sugars help soften chocolate’s intensity. This made it slightly less unusual compared to some of the other pairings.
The top 10 based on the Lindt Unusual Pairing Scale according to the Lindt Master Chocolatiers was:
- Caviar: 10/10
- French fries: 9/10
- Tuna: 8.5/10
- Pepperoni: 7.5/10
- Wasabi: 7/10
- Shrimp: 6/10
- Tomato ketchup: 6/10
- Onion: 5.5/10
- Ramen: 5/10
- Baked beans: 4.5/10
The full list of all the weird combinations can be found here.
Sophie Adams, Digital Content Marketing Manager from Lindt UK said: “Chocolate is incredibly versatile, and TikTok’s creativity has shown that unusual combinations can lead to delicious discoveries.
“Our Unusual Pairings Scale was created to inspire chocolate lovers to try something new by exploring surprisingly tasty food pairings. Caviar and white chocolate topping the scale is a perfect example of an indulgent twist that breaks the mould of traditional chocolate pairings.”
