Dishes are constantly evolving. However, with people sharing more of their eating habits online than ever before – combined with our constant hunger for content – unusual and little-heard-of dishes are sweeping the globe.
As the appetite for the extraordinary grows, unconventional flavour pairings are being thrust into the limelight – and on to our plates (multicoloured cloud bread, anyone?)
Food combinations that push culinary boundaries are emerging to blur the lines between culinary habits that the majority of diners would consider tasty and what they might have once deemed terrible.
Here are some peculiar food trends to sample.
In Japan, Disneyland staff will gladly douse your popcorn in soy sauce. Soy is also the ingredient used when making Japanese jibachi senbei, also known as wasp crackers, which are biscuits made with dead wasps.
In India, it’s common to add salt to a fizzy drink such as Sprite or 7UP, as a home-made energy drink to replenish electrolytes. This works because sodium helps glucose to be absorbed more easily by our body’s fluids.
Another unlikely, yet remarkably popular, combination is French fries and ice cream. Some foodies will tell you this sweet and savoury pairing is not new, but it reached dizzying heights recently when Filipino fast food chain Jollibee used TikTok to tease its ice cream-loaded fries topped with chocolate sauce and coconut. Disgusting, right? Wrong. The dish sparked a feeding frenzy as fans salivated at the mere thought of the tasty treat. The clip clocked up more than 3 million views with thousands of comments from eager foodies around the globe desperate to try the viral creation.
Ice cream can be paired with a number of things – perhaps none more shocking than what Tristin Farmer, chef of three Michelin-starred restaurant Zen in Singapore, dined out on during a recent trip to Australia. “During a culinary journey to Sydney I tried fish-eye ice cream, as well as chocolate tart and caviar at Saint Peter restaurant. It was delicious,” he tells The National.
Farmer, who was trained by Gordon Ramsey, is no stranger to odd food pairings and believes it’s all part of being a chef. “We are always experimenting in our test kitchen with flavours because ‘weird’ is subjective,” he says. “The culinary scene has no boundaries and we are pushed to innovate and experiment. I have been tasked to make a kinmedai dish that included chicken fat, sprouted walnut rice, fish garum, uni and fish scales.”
As for Farmer’s own “strange” food tastes, he says, “Being Scottish, I am a big fan of haggis and I did grow up on crisp sandwiches.”
If fish eyes and ice cream weren’t odd enough, how does fish and custard sound? For fans of British TV series Doctor Who, April 3 is known as Fish fingers and Custard Day. Super-fans pay homage to actor Matt Smith by eating the unusual dish – just as the actor did in the The Eleventh Hour episode of the hit BBC show – and posting about it online.
Celebrities are no strangers to getting behind unexpected food and beverage trends, either. Take “pilk” for instance – the stomach-churning mix of Pepsi and milk, which became a thing across the US when actress Lindsay Lohan appeared in a commercial for the American soda giant’s latest festive campaign.
The advert was created to capitalise on the rise of mixing liquids such as coconut cream with fizzy pop, also known as a “dirty soda”. This trend caught the eyes of Gen Z when pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo posted a snap on Instagram holding a cup from US drinks chain Swig – the apparent home of the dirty soda.
Another food trend that took off with the help of a celebrity was the mustard-on-watermelon craze. Rapper Lizzo tried the snack in a clip that has been viewed more than 34 million times on TikTok, and was subsequently tried by hoards of her 30 million followers. Mustard on watermelon isn’t easily found in restaurants in the Middle East, but the combination perhaps isn’t as wacky as it sounds. “It makes me think of the mostarda from Italy, which is a candied fruit with mustard relish, that goes perfectly with cheese,” says Stephane Buchholzer, executive assistant manager of culinary and food and beverages for the Mina Seyahi Resort, Dubai.
Buchholzer tells The National that having spent his life in restaurant kitchens, he’s no stranger to odd food requests. “One gentlemen was very particular with his food and asked for a margherita pizza topped with banana and strawberry. We made it and he loved it. However, I tried it and had other views.”
Fruity pizza may not tickle Buchholzer’s taste buds, but he does admit to enjoying grilled goat’s cheese baguettes dunked in latte and “classic” salt and vinegar crisp sandwiches. He also gives the thumbs up to the peanut butter hamburger, which was first seen by many on Food Network’s hit show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The combination works as the nutty saltiness deepens the flavour of the meat and can also add moisture to the beef if added before cooking.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
The biog
Name: Sari Al Zubaidi
Occupation: co-founder of Cafe di Rosati
Age: 42
Marital status: single
Favourite drink: drip coffee V60
Favourite destination: Bali, Indonesia
Favourite book: 100 Years of Solitude
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Brief scores
Day 1
Toss England, chose to bat
England, 1st innings 357-5 (87 overs): Root 184 not out, Moeen 61 not out, Stokes 56; Philander 3-46
The specs: Volvo XC40
Price: base / as tested: Dh185,000
Engine: 2.0-litre, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 250hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 350Nm @ 1,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.4L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
box
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Afro%20salons
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE v United States, T20 International Series
Both matches at ICC Academy, Dubai. Admission is free.
1st match: Friday, 2pm
2nd match: Saturday, 2pm
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Rameez Shahzad, Amjad Gul, CP Rizwan, Mohammed Boota, Abdul Shakoor, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Sultan Ahmed, Zahoor Khan, Amir Hayat
USA squad: Saurabh Netravalkar (captain), Jaskaran Malhotra, Elmore Hutchinson, Aaron Jones, Nosthush Kenjige, Ali Khan, Jannisar Khan, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Timil Patel, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor, Hayden Walsh
Hurricanes 31-31 Lions
Wellington Hurricanes:
Tries: Gibbins, Laumape, Goosen, Fifita tries, Barrett
Conversions: Barrett (4)
Penalties: Barrett
British & Irish Lions:
Tries: Seymour (2), North
Conversions: Biggar (2)
Penalties: Biggar (4)
FINAL LEADERBOARD
1. Jordan Spieth (USA) 65 69 65 69 - 12-under-par
2. Matt Kuchar (USA) 65 71 66 69 - 9-under
3. Li Haotong (CHN) 69 73 69 63 - 6-under
T4. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 71 68 69 67 - 5-under
T4. Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 67 73 67 68 - 5-under
T6. Marc Leishman (AUS) 69 76 66 65 - 4-under
T6. Matthew Southgate (ENG) 72 72 67 65 - 4-under
T6. Brooks Koepka (USA) 65 72 68 71 - 4-under
T6. Branden Grace (RSA) 70 74 62 70 - 4-under
T6. Alexander Noren (SWE) 68 72 69 67 - 4-under
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Company%C2%A0profile
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Dunki
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SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%202-litre%20direct%20injection%20turbo%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%207-speed%20automatic%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20261hp%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20400Nm%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20From%20Dh134%2C999%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
