The most compelling television characters often have idiosyncrasies that define their personality, from clothing to talents to relationships. Food preferences often provide important insight into a person’s life.
Some meals live on in infamy as the strangest, most bizarre, and sometimes surprisingly appetizing foods of all time. The most outlandish foods from television shows have gone on to have a life of their own, inspiring recipe recreations, collectible swag like tee shirts and mugs, and endlessly shareable memes. From Cheesy Blasters to English Trifles, find out which fictional foods from TV are the weirdest.
Burger Of The Day (Bob’s Burgers)
Bob’s burgers of the day are one of the best running gags on the show. From “Don’t Go Brocking My Heart Burger (with broccoli & artichoke hearts)” to “Texas Chainsaw Massa-curd Burger (comes with cheese curds)”, the daily special is always a slightly terrible pop culture pun with hints at the associated ingredients (check out Thrillist for the full list of burgers).
The burger specials are a great example of Bob and Louise’s humor, setting the tone of the show’s quirky comedy and the hilarious family dynamic that makes them so relatable.
The Swanson (Parks And Recreation)
The man’s man of Pawnee, Ron Swanson is incredibly vocal about his love for meat, breakfast food, and whiskey. Enter: “The Swanson,” a supercharged turkey leg wrapped in bacon and served from a food truck during the second season finale.
Food preferences in the show highlight important character traits, such as Leslie’s sweetness and energy coordinating with her favorite waffles, and Chris’ health-influenced Parks & Rec diet that keeps him in literally superhuman shape. Ron’s meaty meals exemplify the masculine stereotypes he identifies with, but the exaggerated traits mask a softer, more emotional Duke Silver side.
Krabby Patty (SpongeBob SquarePants)
As a fry cook for the Krusty Krab, Krabby Patties are an integral part of SpongeBob’s daily life and relationships with other characters, including Squidward and Mr. Krabs, and also serve as plot devices for innumerable episodes.
What makes Krabby Patties so desirable that throngs of Bikini Bottom residents swarm the entrance? It might be the love that SpongeBob puts into every sandwich, but fans (and Plankton) may never know the full secret recipe that Mr. Krabs guards with his life. Supposedly a vegetarian burger, it is impossible to perfectly recreate on land the salty brine of Bikini Bottom that probably influences its flavor.
Cheesy Blasters (30 Rock)
Wrap a pizza around a jack cheese-filled hot dog and viewers will have 30 Rock’s ultimate midnight snack: Cheesy Blasters. Liz Lemon’s favorite food highlights the best part of her thirty-something singledom – the ability to enjoy some wine and night cheese on the couch in peace. She uses her midnight cheese time to decompress from the stresses of her all-encompassing producer job, catering to the whims of stars Tracy and Jenna and her needy boss, Jack. “Thanks, Meat Cat!”
Fish Fingers And Custard (Doctor Who)
Fish Custard is a sweet and salty snack synonymous with the eleventh doctor. It first makes its appearance right after his regeneration when raiding the kitchen with young Amy Pond. The meal has an emotional significance to the friendship between Amy and The Doctor and is eaten or referenced many times throughout the series.
Fish Custard is a perfect example of the quirks and charm of Matt Smith’s Doctor, from bowties and suspenders to his youthful curiosity and reckless playfulness as a “madman with a box.” Doctor Who fans have embraced the dish, including annual meals on April 3rd, deemed by the BBC as official Fish Fingers and Custard Day.
Milk Steak (It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia)
IASIP has quite a few strange foods that are more often than not the brainchild of Charlie. Milk Steak takes the cake, with a special shout-out to Rum Ham, Muscle Milk, and Spaghetti in a Bag.
Boiled over hard and served with the finest jelly beans on the side, Charlie’s favorite food is a perfect example of the Gang’s complete detachment from reality. Binging with Babish faithfully recreates some IASIP favorites, and offers some more palatable variations for fans who want to know how the side of jelly beans influences the milky meat flavors.
English Trifle (Friends)
Rachel’s failed attempt to prove herself as a cook continues to live in infamy. The result of pages stuck together and her ineptitude as a homemaker, her trifle is a strange combination of lady fingers, custard, raspberries, ground beef, and peas.
With Monica’s career as a chef and many of the most iconic holiday episodes revolving around big group meals, food plays an integral part of the series as both background and plot device. From scones at Central Perk to being a good friend by pretending to eat Rachel’s beefy dessert, food brings the six Friends characters together. At least Joey liked it!
The Eriksen Seven Layer Salad (How I Met Your Mother)
Everyone has that one relative who insists on making Ambrosia Salad, a bizarre combination of sour cream, marshmallows, and canned fruit, for a special holiday dish. During their midwest holiday trip, Marshall’s mother initiates Lilly into the family by sharing the secret family recipe for her own version: The Eriksen Seven Layer Salad.
Viewers don’t get to see the entire recipe play out, but it starts with 16 cups of mayonnaise, gummy bears, and potato chips. Buzzfeed tracked down the full recipe from the prop master, recreating the legendary salad in its full disgusting glory.
The Sauce (New Girl)
Fans of New Girl know that Nick Miller isn’t someone who should be trusted to make a meal, which is why it is surprising that germaphobe Schmidt is so emphatic about the tradition of Nick’s special sauce. The Sauce is an example of Nick’s unexpected moments of maturity on New Girl and shows that despite the wacky paths he takes on the way he can be successful when he makes an effort.
What exactly goes into the sauce is a secret, but some hints include bologna and mayonnaise (because that’s what makes it a bolognese, of course). The Miller Family Sauce is as close as viewers can get to know what the inside of a bear tastes like but in a good way.
Hot Ham Water (Arrested Development)
Arrested Development‘s Lindsay Bluth Fünke is severely lacking in maternal instincts, which is part of her charm as the delusional daddy’s girl and only female Bluth sibling. Because of her good looks and financial stability she never needed to bother with mastering the domestic arts.
When Lindsay tries (briefly) to be a caretaker to her family, she makes her favorite dish: Hot Ham Water. Is it just boiled ham? Does Lindsay eat the ham, or just drink it like a bone broth? Buster describes it best: “So watery, and yet there’s a smack of ham to it.”
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