60 Hybrid Foods Worth Knowing (Slideshow)

The quintessential soul food packs more flavor than you can fathom. The combination of chicken and waffles takes care of every area of the palate, from the sweet to the savory. Though this award-worthy dish reportedly originated in Pennsylvania Dutch country in the early 1600s with waffles topped with pulled chicken and gravy, it wasn't until 1938 when the dish (this time made with fried chicken) gained real traction in Harlem, N.Y 

Can't decide between Mexican and Chinese food? Compromise with this inspired concoction that blends Asian flavors with tastes from south of the border. Loaded with grilled chicken marinated in teriyaki sauce, grilled pineapple salsa, Mexican rice, crunchy noodles, scallions, and lettuce, this culinary mash-up will be a real sensory overload. 

A patty of beef sandwiched between two buns of instant ramen noodles sounds like something out of a college boy's dream. This interesting hybrid got its start in New York City with Keizo Shimamoto and variations are still showing up across the country.

Speaking of New York City crazes, chef Dominique Ansel took two months and 10 recipes to perfect this . A cross between a donut and a croissant (with the taste of a churro), this interesting combination will transform the way you think about pastries. 

A birthday staple, this beloved sweet treat is a hybrid that may date back as far as the late 19th century. Though its exact origins are unclear, we do know that the marriage of ice cream and delicious cake didn't really pick up until the 20th century, when dairy products were easier to access financially.  

A new craze is sweeping dip bowls across the globe, and it is a mushy one. Many stand behind the latest dip mash-up that blends classic guacamole and hearty chickpea-based hummus, perfect for those who don't want to choose between the two. 

Since 1965, Charlie's PizzaTaco has been making its way into our stomachs (and our arteries). The hybrid is a specially baked pizza crust that's folded, loaded with fresh meat and shredded lettuce, and served like a taco. 

A cheeseburger between two slices of sourdough bread is one thing, but a burger squeezed between two sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches takes the word "behemoth" to a whole other level. While this hungry man's delight has been circulating around menus for quite some time, most recently fast-food chain Jack in the Box added this monstrosity to their late-night Munchies menu.

Every '90s kid can recite the pizza Bagel Bites theme song, but we will spare you the specifics. Just know that this cheese pizza served on a bagel is a quick and easy way to transform your average breakfast treat into a delicious lunchtime dish. 

We aren't sure if this mash-up is genius or sick. Baking a pizza around a huge burger, calzone style, is enough to make your heart stop and your mouth water simultaneously. 

Forget your typical dough, this 30-minute dish is perfect for the college kid on a shoestring budget. With just a cast-iron skillet, jarred tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and of course, barely cooked ramen noodles, you can have yourself a crunchy alternative to the Friday night favorite. 

The Cronut of the '90s, this winning combination exploded when a New York City kitchen became one of the first U.S. sellers of this 100-year-old Chinese delicacy. Though it is nearly impossible to trace the exact roots of the soup dumpling, xiao long bao in Chinese, they reportedly first appeared in Nanxiang, northwest of Shanghai.

This invention is the stuff backyard barbecue masters dream of. There are two ways to serve this tasty hybrid: either as ground beef rolled and prepped like a hot dog or our favorite way, with an actual hot dog folded inside a casing of ground beef.

If you thought your 11-pound turkey for Thanksgiving was intense, then prepare to have your mind blown with this layered labyrinth of meat. A deboned chicken is stuffed inside a deboned duck, which is then stuffed inside a deboned turkey, all held together by layers of delicious stuffing. Though popularized by chef Paul Prudhomme, it is unknown where the concept of this multi-bird creation really got its start. 

Slightly misleading in title, this mash-up doesn't exactly combine breakfast with the beloved Mexican dish, but rather gives breakfast a Mexican flare. Taco Bell recently tested out this "waffle taco" that features a crispy waffle folded over sausage and eggs just like a taco. 

We aren't talking about a burger with a heaping scoop of mac and cheese on top. Oh no, we are talking about a juicy burger happily sitting between two pieces of baked mac and cheese, dreamt up by Rockit Burger Bar in Chicago. 

This isn't the weirdest thing to come out of Japan, but it certainly is up there. The Pepsi-infused Cheeto reportedly captures an overwhelmingly lemon taste and even gives off a slight "fizz" when chewing. 

While many may think this delicacy hails from Nickelodeon show iCarly, it is actually a dish that goes back for generations. Also known as "Tacos De Fideo," this Mexican dish is a family classic that pairs spaghetti noodles with warm corn tortillas and a fresh cream sauce.

There is no shortage of possibilities when it comes to the creative flavor department at Oreo.  Chocolate, peanut butter, "Spring," Cool Mint, and "Birthday" are just some of the flavors they've combined with the classic cookie to give Oreo fans an interesting blend of tastes from all corners of the culinary spectrum.

This hybrid would almost border on sacrilegious if it weren't so darn delicious. We'd bet your average pizzeria will have some version of this interesting hybrid, which typically uses a standard pizza as a base for a mixed green salad on top.

This was a hybrid that until recently could have used Maury's help to learn who its "father" was. Originally the grape was identified as a cross between riesling and sylvaner, but then later it was revised to a cross between riesling and chasselas — called gutedel or weisser gutedel in German. The latest DNA research, however, shows that the other parent, besides riesling, was an obscure grape called madeleine royale. Whatever their lineage, these little green goodies were crossbred by professor Müller of Switzerland and the hybrid is now the second most widely planted grape in Germany.

A taco shell is a tasty vessel, but a Doritos taco shell proved to be utter heaven for Taco Bell fans' taste buds. With Cool Ranch, Fiery, and original Nacho Cheese variations, these fusions are a great combination if you have a craving for a really flavorful taco. 

Fitting for any group who can't make a decision on what type of fast food to order, Pizza Hut Middle East unveiled a stuffed crust like you've never seen before. Forget the cheese, these babies are loaded with actual mini cheeseburgers and chicken tenders to create the ultimate fast-food dish. 

This Carl's Jr.  mash-up is a simple concept that brought nothing but pure joy into the hearts of fast-food fans around the nation. Though not a hybrid per se, it was a combination so tasty it couldn't be ignored! 

This Australian-bred fruit is the result of the CISRO project to blend native Australian citruses with modern citrus fruits. Also known as "Australian Blood," it's a hybrid of an acid mandarin and a native finger lime. Whatever it is, it sounds like it would make a mean margarita. 

Developed in Scotland in 1980, this hybrid berry crosses an Aurora blackberry with a European raspberry for a sweet-tart taste. This seasonal fruit is evidently very high in pectin, which makes it perfect for jamming. 

A mix between a plum and an apricot, this fruit blend leans more heavily toward the plum side of its parentage than anything else. There are more than 20 varieties of pluots, which are very sweet and have skins that resemble a plum. 

It doesn't sound all that different from a pluot, and it's not, because a plumcot is also developed from a plum and apricot. This hybrid variation splits the lineage more evenly between the two fruits, therefore qualifying it as slightly different from its hybrid brethren.

So a peach, a plum, and an apricot walk into a petri dish... We promise this isn't the start of a bad joke. It is the beginning of a beautiful fruit combination that blends the three fruits into great a superfood with the sweetness of a peach, the tartness of a plum, and the consistency of an apricot. 

Why no, this isn't a new character on the Jersey Shore. This is actually the very tasty combination of a grapefruit and a tangerine. They have a mild, sweet flavor and are known for their juiciness. 

A University of California, Riverside original, the oroblanco fruit combines a pummelo with a white grapefruit for the ultimate citrus experience. 

This hybrid breed is a lie! OK , maybe it isn't that dramatic, but it does have a misleading name. The Rangpur lime actually has nothing to do with limes, but is rather a crossbreed between a mandarin orange and a lemon. Or what we like to call "a lovely cocktail garnish."

Put a tang on your taste buds with this lime and kumquat combination. This little fruit packs a punch with a tart flavor that would do its parents proud.

There is something very unsettling about this hybrid fruit. Perfect for Halloween, this creepy berry has the look of a white strawberry but the taste and smell a pineapple. They may be delicious but man, talk about a creepy snack!

This brand-name hybrid takes an interesting approach to creating a new flavor combination. The apple that doubles as a grape-flavored fruit isn't genetically altered to be that way, but is rather infused with grape flavors naturally. 

They say opposites attract and Israeli researchers definitely did their part to test that theory with the creation of the genetically altered lemato. The combination of a lemon and a tomato is said to have a lighter red color with the aroma and flavor of a tomato with just a dab of lemony, floral undertones. 

The hangover food to end all hangover foods, this tasty french fry sandwich has us reveling in starch heaven. The chip butty originated unsurprisingly in the bars of Liverpool, England.

Yet another combination of the plum and apricot, this fruit fusion has more apricot in its makeup than plum and has a lighter color than its hybrid counterparts. 

Easy to peel, tough to understand. This citrusy combination is the child of already-hybrid fruits the Clementine tangelo and the Orlando tangelo. So, it's a hybrid grandchild? 

This hybrid isn't hard to comprehend, as the combination can happen accidentally as well as deliberately. The fruit is the simple blend of a mandarin and a sweet orange that gets its name from its tangy flavor. 

In 1972 at a fruit research center in  Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, the Dekopon was born. A hybrid of a Kiyomi tangor (a cross of an orange and a satsuma mandarin) and a ponkan (a large mandarin) created what we know in the States as the Sumo.

This trademarked hybrid believed to be formed from the Seville orange, the grapefruit, and the tangerine families definitely lives up to its name. A product of Jamaica, this ugly fruit definitely is living proof that you can't judge a fruit by its skin, as the zesty insides provide a refreshing taste. 

We can't seem to get enough of these citrus blends! Here is yet another winning combination of a unique citrus flavor that blends orange and tangerine for a tart, sweet, refreshing fruit. 

Though the blend of grapefruit and oranges didn't really catch on for mass production, this hybrid was made possible through research and is used as the parent category for a few current hybrids.  

Mac and cheese just became an acceptable breakfast menu item with the genius combination of buttery pancake batter and cheesy mac and cheese. Really, why wasn't this always a thing?

 A crispy wafer taco shell combined with the power of chocolate-coated vanilla ice cream? Um, yes please! 

The simple genius of this flavor combination is so great it makes our mouths water. The pretzel bun has been gracing palates for some time, but recently made its way into the fast-food arena for an extra flavorful junk food experience. 

This has to be the ultimate convenience sandwich. Mashing together tasty breakfast staples in one flavorful bite makes for a delicious fusion, one that we'd happily order every morning if we could!

Though the details are a bit fuzzy when it comes to unearthing the history of the flaky crusted confection, crème brûlée's marriage with cheesecake is one hybrid of utter perfection.

A corn dog itself is a tasty hybrid, but when your take an entire entrée and blend it with another, you have one happy mouth. The lobster roll corn dog is gracing state fairs and major chains all around the country and packs a huge flavorful punch. 

Combine the decadence of a holiday pie and the coolness of a milkshake and you have a hybrid that will change the way you do dessert. And we aren't just talking pie-flavored shakes — we mean real hunks of your favorite pies blended with perfectly complementary ice cream. It is like à la mode with an extra step!

Fusion food is definitely all the rage, but did you ever imagine eating raw fish in a burrito?  This amazing combination of sushi and burrito is blowing the mind of sushi aficionados by giving them their favorite dish in a more filling vessel. 

Who says French food is exclusive? This classy, delicate French pastry took an interesting turn when it crossbred with an unlikely source: Cheetos. This hybrid makes our junk-food-loving hearts sing!

The ultimate man product: The hybrid blending of bacon and beer beckons to all who love both delicious foods. You can't deny the smoky allure of the flavorful meat and you surely won't be able to resist the siren call of the possibility of drinking it!

Not quite a full-blown cake, not quite a pop, this hybrid fusion has taken over the bakeshop scene and is appearing in every form, from Starbucks snacks to wedding cakes.

When you can turn a plain breakfast cereal into a practically artisanal dessert, you are met with a glorious hybrid. Using the sticky-sweet treat as the base of your creation, you can blend anything together — especially tasty ice cream!

The classic duo goes from being partners in culinary crime to a hybrid sensation with the easy-access creation that features both peanut butter and jelly in the same jar! 

This French-bred grape was created by Bertille Seyve and his son-in-law Villard in the 1920s. These hybrid grapes come from a complex process of blending and purifying that renders a specific fruit that is disease-resistant. 

This hybrid grape is great for creating tasty dessert wines. It grows in very tiny, fragile clusters. 

A grape hybrid that is primary used in red blends, this vineyard staple was released to the public in the 1940s. It goes particularly well with big, robust foods like red meat and mushrooms.