Sea Salted Chocolate

For no particular reason, some things just go together. They combine naturally to create something wonderful and divine. You’d never expect some combinations to work, but inevitably they do. For eons, opposites have attracted.

A simple example that everyone can relate to is food. There are some snacks I cannot avoid. Sugar is good, but I am a salt fanatic. I love chips and crackers and fries, and can happily devour an entire bag/box/bucket in a single sitting watching a favorite movie. Thankfully, I very rarely use extra salt!

I recently discovered the magic of salted chocolate. Every time I’d pass through the snack aisle I’d see the many varieties of Lindt chocolate, many of which scared me off (the Fire Roasted Tomato Triscuits always looked better anyway). Then one day, someone decided to share their Lindt Sea Salted Chocolate bar. Boom! It was a magical taste, way better than Salt & Vinegar chips, or at least tied for first place. The bitterness of dark chocolate was perfectly balanced with the gentle sting of salt. I’ve never been a huge chocolate fan, but this salty sugar might have converted me.

Other combinations are just as surprisingly good. When you really think about it, peanut butter and jelly is a really odd combination, but it’s a huge childhood staple. Banana and peanut butter is slightly less popular, but no less awesome. I particularly liked peanut butter and fried bologna, and my Mom specifically likes peanut butter (or maybe just plain butter) and Fritos.

Complete opposites combine to cancel out the craziness of each other. Fire and water, black and white, even people come together and bring out the best in each other. I’m vivacious and my husband is relaxed, and wouldn’t you know it, I’ve become more laid back in some situations and he’s become more outgoing. He often makes comments about things on television that I wouldn’t have heard him say several years ago, and I’m sure it’s my influence.

So go ahead and mix it up, eat strange food combinations, mingle with people who don’t necessarily agree with you, and enjoy the sting of something unique in the midst of usualness.