# Holy Trinity of Food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 4, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533 "2023-05-04T01:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/1 "2023-05-04T01:56:47Z")
Inspired by a couple of comments in this [thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-holy-trinity-not-religious/983479/23), I thought I’d start a different thread here. What are your “Holy Trinity(or trinities) of Food” I have two, one based on fruit, and one based on culinary vegetables and grains. The fruit grouping is apples, oranges and bananas. I always, or almost always seem to have those three fruits in my fruit bowl on the table. Sometimes pears make a guest appearance, and cherries and other related fruits will come around during the season, but apples, oranges and bananas have permanent residency. The other grouping is squash, onion and rice. I can’t remember the last time I bought a potato to cook at home. Onion is just such a staple vegetable for me, flavorful, versatile, how can onions not be a staple?(he asked rhetorically) As grains go, rice is hard to beat. Easy to make, goes great with just about everything. Rice works just as well as a supporting ingredient in one dish as it does as a main ingredient in another dish. So what is your “Holy Trinity of Food”? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/2 "2023-05-04T02:04:49Z")
The correct answer is: onion, bell pepper, celery. I don’t make the rules. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/3 "2023-05-04T02:05:28Z")
I’m not sure how to reply because I must mention tomato, and is it a fruit or vegetable? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/4 "2023-05-04T02:20:01Z")
Cod, cheeses, and the holey toast. ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/5 "2023-05-04T02:20:10Z")
I’m counting a tomato as a culinary vegetable, since my squash is, botanically speaking, a fruit but I eat it as a vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/6 "2023-05-04T04:02:05Z")
Onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Add another 2-3 of roughly a dozen possible options and you have a Southwestern sofrito. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/7 "2023-05-04T05:39:06Z")
Garlic, butter, onion. It is known ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/8 "2023-05-04T06:58:30Z")
Your own personsl cheeses? ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/9 "2023-05-04T10:10:48Z")
I have a few: Onion, garlic and olive oil. Nearly everything I cook starts here. Lentils, garbanzos and navy beans. Red beans, too, but they’re not as much of a staple. Chicken, pork and fish. Beef also, although I can forego it more easily. Cod, [John Dory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dory) and salmon. I like plenty of others, but these three have been in heavy rotation for some time now. Mussels, shrimp and squid. Most other seafoods and shellfish don’t impress me much. Oregano, thyme and parsley. My main “mild” spices (paprika and cumin are in another category IMO). ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/10 "2023-05-04T11:10:51Z")
I eat one or two bananas and one Yogurt Zero at work every day, and I have a never ending supply of unsalted peanuts at work also. In fact, I just resupplied the latter with a couple of new jars, so I’m well stocked! LOL ---
**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:** [May 4, 2023, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/11 "2023-05-04T11:34:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > The correct answer is: onion, bell pepper, celery. Yep, them’s the rules. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/12 "2023-05-04T11:52:24Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > The correct answer is: onion, bell pepper, celery. > > I don’t make the rules. I thought it was a mirepoix…onion, carrot and celery. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/13 "2023-05-04T11:57:35Z")
For stir-frys or anything to which I want to impart an Asian-style flavor: fresh garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce. EDIT: linked to Johnny\_Bravo because I was originally going to reply to his thread for something else but changed my thought, and forgot I was still linked. Just started first cup of coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/14 "2023-05-04T12:05:34Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I thought it was a mirepoix…onion, carrot and celery. > **[Holy trinity (cooking)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_(cooking))** > > The "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine is the base for several dishes in the regional cuisines of Louisiana and consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base. > Variants use garlic, parsley, or shallots in addition to the three trinity ingredients. The addition of garlic to the holy trinity is sometimes referred to as adding "the pope." > The holy trinity is the... Mirepoix and the Holy Trinity are similar but different things. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/15 "2023-05-04T12:07:52Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I thought it was a mirepoix…onion, carrot and celery. The first time I had ever heard the term “Holy Trinity” as applied to food was in Creole/Cajun cuisine, in which it refers to onion, bell pepper, celery. I think that particular term for a mirepoix/soffrito/sofrito sort of thing originates with Louisiana cooking. So that would be the textbook answer. Wikipedia says it originated in 1981, and was popularized by Paul Prudhomme: > **[Holy trinity (cooking) | Origin of the name](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_trinity_(cooking)#Origin_of_the_name)** > > The name is an allusion to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. > The term is first attested in 1981 and was probably popularized by Paul Prudhomme. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/16 "2023-05-04T13:46:57Z")
Right. There are a bunch of bases that all serve similar functions. Personally, “onion and garlic sautéing in olive oil” is the scent trio that tells me something delicious is happening. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/17 "2023-05-04T14:00:37Z")
Garlic, rosemary, salt (to quote Uncle Monty). He was right. It’s great on Lamb, or fish and it turns plain dough into delicious focaccia. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/18 "2023-05-04T15:09:07Z")
Can you repeat the question? Are we looking for three ingredients combined to form a thing (mirepoix, soffrito, sauce, cocktail) or ‘name three foods sometimes stored in the same basket’ (apples, oranges, bananas)? Gremolata: parsley, lemon & garlic. Pico de gallo: tomato, onion & chile. Midwest casserole: creamy base (cream of x soup, stabilized cheese, bechamel), meat (ground beef, sausage, tuna), carbs (rice, potatoes, noodles). Pizza: bread, tomato sauce, melty cheese. Mojito: rum, mint & lime. > [@Mangetout](#): > > Garlic, rosemary, salt I think salt should be a given and will insert lemon instead. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/19 "2023-05-04T16:02:57Z")
Puerto Rican Holy Trinity: Onion, Garlic and Cilantro. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533/20 "2023-05-04T18:42:19Z")
Three foods you use the most. Could be foods you just eat as is, could be something you use in a variety of dishes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holy-trinity-of-food/983533.md?page=2)