Sweet and Salty: Why Opposites Work on a Plate

Salted caramel should not work. Then again, neither should kettle corn, and both have a devoted following.

Cooks have been pairing opposites for a long time. Salt added to something sweet makes it taste richer and less flat, partly because salt turns down our sense of bitterness. Contrast does the rest, since a mouthful with two things going on stays interesting longer.

Other happy opposites

• Hot and cold: warm pie with cold ice cream.
• Crisp and soft: toast with a soft egg.
• Rich and sharp: a pickle next to a heavy sandwich.
• Sweet and sour: lemon bars, the undisputed champion.

The window or aisle of food

We keep a friendly list of the everyday pairs that people like to argue over: coffee or tea, window or aisle, crust or no crust. Nobody needs to win. A world with two ends is more fun when you can pick one and still share a table.

Our Sweet and Salty mug stays neutral on the subject.