# Flavors in Threes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034 "2016-12-06T16:41:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/1 "2016-12-06T16:41:03Z")
Anyone who’s familiar with Cajun/Creole cuisine knows the “Holy Trinity” - onions, celery and bell peppers (usually in a 3:2:1 ratio). There’s also the Italian “Soffritto” and French mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots (2:1:1 if anyone’s counting). Both are used as the basis for numerous dishes. Not necessarily looking for other 3-flavor bases for regional cuisines (there are lots of other Holy Trinities), but simply three flavors that go great together greater than the sum of their parts; i.e. one of my favorites is banana, honey and peanut butter - makes a kick-ass smoothie, if you’ve never tried one. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/2 "2016-12-06T19:02:07Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Anyone who’s familiar with Cajun/Creole cuisine knows the “Holy Trinity” - onions, celery and bell peppers (usually in a 3:2:1 ratio). There’s also the Italian “Soffritto” and French mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots (2:1:1 if anyone’s counting). Both are used as the basis for numerous dishes. > > Not necessarily looking for other 3-flavor bases for regional cuisines (there are lots of other Holy Trinities), but simply three flavors that go great together greater than the sum of their parts; i.e. one of my favorites is banana, honey and peanut butter - makes a kick-ass smoothie, if you’ve never tried one. Put 'em between two pieces of bread and fry 'em in butter, and you’ve got an Elvis Heart-Clogger Special! 🆒 Seriously, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries seem to be a popular combination in jam. Shopping this afternoon, I also saw marmalade made with orange, grapefruit, and lime. I also love Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut paste) slathered onto bananas. Yum-O! :o Marmite and sharp cheddar cheese on buttered toast, stuck under a grill until the cheese starts to brown and bubble—yum! Mashed potatoes mixed with mushy carrot and parsnip—also yum! (I’d add garlic cloves, “the Pope’s nose,” to your Louisiana trinity, BTW. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2016, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/3 "2016-12-06T20:40:49Z")
Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry – the holy trinity of Ice Cream Sundaes. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/4 "2016-12-07T03:29:32Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry – the holy trinity of Ice Cream Sundaes. Like [Neopolitan ice cream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neapolitan_ice_cream)? Or a banana split (which has a whole bunch of other flavors going on)? I remember kids (and myself usually) mixing the chocolate and vanilla flavors together with that ol’ wooden spoon if they were side-by-side in a cup, but I don’t recall any kid who mixed these three. Besides, mixing C & V usually just gave you a lighter tasting chocolate. There’s also [Spumoni](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spumoni). A better example for ice cream would be something like Baskin-Robbins Jamoca Almond Fudge - coffee, almond and chocolate. X gets the square :D. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/5 "2016-12-07T04:02:59Z")
Some people adore the combination of gin, vermouth, and an olive. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/6 "2016-12-07T04:59:12Z")
Cilantro, Apple, and jalapeño to spice up your veggie burger. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/7 "2016-12-07T07:52:52Z")
Limiting it to three items: tomato juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce in a Virgin Mary. Lime, mint, and rum in a Mojito (needs sugar, though). Lime, rum, and Coca-Cola in a Cuba Libre. Cherry vanilla Coca-Cola. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/8 "2016-12-07T08:33:36Z")
ginger, garlic and chilli. The cornerstone of many asian and oriental recipes ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/9 "2016-12-07T09:31:26Z")
Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/10 "2016-12-07T10:32:25Z")
Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/11 "2016-12-07T13:14:06Z")
C1 QA Zac sc ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2016, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/12 "2016-12-07T13:40:30Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > C1 > QA Zac sc Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/13 "2016-12-08T21:12:11Z")
The essential Caprese salad: fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. OK, it should also have a drizzle of olive oil and/or balsamic vinegar, but I’m fine without. Lox, onion, and cream cheese. Great on a bagel, rye bread, or by itself. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/14 "2016-12-08T22:00:30Z")
Dark rum, light rum, and any other kind of rum. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/15 "2016-12-08T22:21:55Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > Anyone who’s familiar with Cajun/Creole cuisine knows the “Holy Trinity” - onions, celery and bell peppers (usually in a 3:2:1 ratio). There’s also the Italian “Soffritto” and French mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots (2:1:1 if anyone’s counting). Both are used as the basis for numerous dishes. > > Not necessarily looking for other 3-flavor bases for regional cuisines (there are lots of other Holy Trinities), but simply three flavors that go great together greater than the sum of their parts; i.e. one of my favorites is banana, honey and peanut butter - makes a kick-ass smoothie, if you’ve never tried one. All three of your examples are essentially the same thing; IIRC, a soffrito and mirepoix are identical, and derive from the Italian soffrito, and the cajun trinity uses peppers instead of carrots. Rum, sugar and lime is a fairly classic trio, starting with the old school grog, and working forward through various punches into daiquiris and mojitos. Ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil are a very defining flavor for Chinese food, and in a broader sense, the trio of ginger, garlic and chilies is a common combination for Asian foods of all kinds. Garlic, cumin and chilies is also a common flavor trio in Mexican and Indian cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/16 "2017-02-02T05:35:55Z")
Apples, cinnamon, and cream/milk ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/17 "2017-02-02T07:53:46Z")
Chocolate, mint, and milk. Mint and milk go well together, anyway. Chocolate just brings it to a higher level. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/18 "2017-02-02T13:36:07Z")
Parsley, sage, rosemaryandthyme. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/19 "2017-02-02T14:24:17Z")
Coffee, chocolate and mint. Mmmmmmm…mint mocha ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034/20 "2017-02-02T15:44:47Z")
Kechap Manis (thick, sweet soya sauce) Chilli sauce Lime juice [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flavors-in-threes/774034.md?page=2)