# Foods/condiments you ONLY like when combined with something else **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183 "2011-02-13T02:25:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/21 "2011-02-13T21:59:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > By definition, condiments are meant to be eaten with something else. You don’t really hear of people sitting down to a nice bowl of mayonnaise. Sound’s like Paula Deen’s diet plan. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![BeeDubU2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BeeDubU2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeDubU2)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/22 "2011-02-13T22:04:17Z")
Russian/Thousand Island dressing is vile. Sauerkraut is the work of the devil. But somehow, a Ruben sandwich is the best thing. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/23 "2011-02-13T22:29:35Z")
I detest mayo. The smell makes me nauseated and I cannot stand to touch it. However, pasta salad, chicken salad, ranch dressing, tartar sauce–love them all. I just can’t think about it. In fact, years ago I made some boxed pasta salad and when it came time to mix the seasoning packet with mayo, I had to have my husband do it for me. I do not like tomatoes–not on sandwiches, not in salads, not in slices sprinkled with salt. Yuck. However, I like ketchup, tomato sauce and even salsa. I have no idea what the difference is. I used to be the same way with both onions and peppers–loved the taste but not the veggies. I got over the onion issue about 15 years ago but only started eating peppers in the past 2-3 years. I imagine tomatoes will come along soon. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/24 "2011-02-13T22:56:32Z")
> [@evilbeth](#): > > …I do not like tomatoes–not on sandwiches, not in salads, not in slices sprinkled with salt. Yuck. However, I like ketchup, tomato sauce and even salsa. I have no idea what the difference is… Salads & sandwhiches usually have _raw_ tomatoes; tomatoes in sauces are usually cooked and mixed with other ingredients. When you say salsa do you mean fresh salsa or the stuff in jars? The former has raw tomatoes, the later cooked. I’m the same way with onions; I used to hate all onions, then I realized I liked them cooked (I love a good French Onion soup). Still don’t like raw onions (which are common ingredients in salads or hoagies), but do enjoy fresh salsa or pico de gallo (remind me what the difference is again 😕) even though they both have raw onion in them. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpine/32/17813_2.png) [@Alpine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/25 "2011-02-13T23:06:44Z")
Won’t eat mustard on anything. But I will put it in a homemade balsamic salad dressing. I detest mayo, too, but there is one chipotle-lime juice-scallion-sour cream dip with some mayo that I like for chicken skewers. And I don’t even like sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/26 "2011-02-14T01:08:00Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Salads & sandwhiches usually have _raw_ tomatoes; tomatoes in sauces are usually cooked and mixed with other ingredients. When you say salsa do you mean fresh salsa or the stuff in jars? The former has raw tomatoes, the later cooked. I like both fresh and cooked salsas–in fact, I prefer fresh. My brain is a weird place sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/27 "2011-02-14T01:18:56Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > By definition, condiments are meant to be eaten with something else. You don’t really hear of people sitting down to a nice bowl of mayonnaise. My grandmother used to cut up a banana into a big bowl of mayo and just go to town on it. Joe ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/28 "2011-02-14T02:22:15Z")
Butter or margarine on bread only serves to grease the bread so I never have it **unless** I am putting Vegemite on the bread/toast. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/29 "2011-02-14T12:09:40Z")
Gin and vermouth are pretty useless separately, or in the wrong combination. Mozzarella cheese needs tomato in some form, on pizza if hot and with sliced tomato and balsamic vinegar if cold and fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/30 "2011-02-14T12:13:22Z")
Every ingredient of Borscht is pretty unpleasant on its own, from the broth to the beets and cabbage down to the cheap cut of meat. Together, it’s all wonderful. Especially with a dollop of sour cream. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/31 "2011-02-14T12:44:38Z")
I will eat ketchup with French fries, and only with French fries. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/32 "2011-02-14T12:53:18Z")
Avocado is only good for me when eaten with Mexican food. Mixed in with lots of other ingredients, on a taco, on nachos, in a burrito. I can’t stand the taste of plain, unadorned avocado. Tomatoes, tomato soup and _especially_ tomato juice (I can’t even… ugh) all make me want to vomit, but I love ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato-based pasta sauce and salsa. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/33 "2011-02-14T14:00:25Z")
Applesauce. Only with potato latkes. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/34 "2011-02-14T15:09:46Z")
I loathe mayo and ham. Except… a mayo and ham sandwich, or ham salad, I’ll eat. So two foods I will not eat unless they are both together. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/35 "2011-02-14T16:17:22Z")
Can’t stand dill relish on most anything, but chicken or tuna salad just doesn’t work without it. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/36 "2011-02-14T21:31:19Z")
Gravy belongs in only one dish: poutine. Mustard is only to be eaten in the traditional family chip dip of 2 parts salad dressing, 1 part ketchup, 1 part mustard. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/37 "2011-02-14T21:51:20Z")
I won’t eat cheese, cheese products or foods that have touched cheese except pizza, which I could eat every day. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/38 "2011-02-16T20:45:43Z")
Ketchup is only good on fries, and even then, only sparingly, and only when the fries are too bland otherwise. (And if the fries are bland enough that they need to be eaten with ketchup, then IMO they’ve failed as fries.) Also agreed with mayo and tuna. I hate mayo, but put it with tuna and suddenly it’s divine. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/39 "2011-02-16T21:30:21Z")
Coffee. Only tolerable when added to my cream and sugar. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183/40 "2011-02-17T04:04:22Z")
Cauliflower is only edible when it’s in an Indian curry dish (most certainly because the seasonings completely overpower the flavor of the cauliflower). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-condiments-you-only-like-when-combined-with-something-else/571183.md?page=3)