The Hybrid Food Craze: The Good, The Bad, and The Weirdly Delicious

The cronut made its debut in mid-2013 and marked the beginning of the hybrid food craze. In case you haven’t heard, the cronut is a croissant-doughnut hybrid first crafted by Chef Ansel in his NYC bakery. It is a donut-shaped pastry with a flakey texture and cream filling. Since then, bakeries around the country have been knocking off the idea and attaching different labels such as “doughssants.” Though arriving pretty late to the game, even fast food giant Jack in the Box has cashed in on the idea with their new croissant donuts. While Jack’s mini rendition of the pastry lacks the rich cream filling, I must admit they are pretty awesome.

Oh, but cronuts are not the only food craze that’s been hitting the U.S. by storm. Since the cronut’s birth, other dually delicious foods have made an appearance. The “crogel” available at a Connecticut grocery store, and the “cragel” offered at an NYC bakery has made a zombie food out of bagels and croissants. Next came “donnolis,” Philly’s own donut-cannoli hybrid stuffed with a sweet buttercream filling. Chicago also joined in on the food movement with the wonut, a small fried waffle dipped in glaze.

Lesser known products of gastronomic crossbreeding have also popped up in the foodie world. Ever heard of the lasagna burger? How about a stack of mac n’ cheese pancakes? The lobster corn dog has also recently emerged as part of the carnival scene, while the guacamole-hummus has been described as a “piece of heaven.” You can even find loads of hybrid dessert recipes online, ranging from doughnut macarons to chocolate éclair cakes.

If you dig a little deeper, you will find that hybrid foods are not a recent invention. Applebee’s has been boasting a quesadilla burger for years, and let’s not forget McDonald’s heart-stopping McGriddle that infused pancakes with savory breakfast items. The difference now is that they’ve got our attention and everyone (including myself) is on this hybrid food bandwagon. What’s next on the fusion food trail? A pretzel-brulee, perhaps?