by Yvonne Wang ’27
November 2024
At USN, lunchtime is more than just a chance to refuel. It’s a battlefield of opinions, where everyone has something to say about food—whether gourmet or guilty pleasure, cafeteria fare or packed lunch.
Condiments are especially controversial when it comes to opinions, as they can be almost anything.
Melis Kurtulus ‘27, for example, talked about her love for ranch and even went as far as to say, “I would drink ranch.” She shared that she enjoys putting ranch on rice, which she says makes the rice taste even better.
Similarly, Erin Ilagan ‘26 talked about her love for ketchup. “I’ll put ketchup on the cafeteria pizza, spaghetti, pretty much anything that already has some sort of tomato or tomato-adjacent component.”
Not everyone is on board with these bold condiment choices. Suzie Zhao ‘28, for instance, said, “I love ranch, but ranch on rice is criminal.”
But condiments are not the only items that stir up debates—how we eat certain foods can be just as controversial.
Zhao shares her opinion on how she eats the well-known Chonbani flip yogurts and admits it may be controversial. “I like eating the chocolate on the side first and then eating the yogurt plain. This way, I can taste both ingredients.”
As Halloween approaches, candy becomes a major talking point. Everyone has favorites—or least favorites—from classic sweets to unique combos. For Rohan Ramachandran ‘25, he talked about his dislike for the popular candy, Swedish Fish.
He explained that he is not a fan of the texture; “it just tastes like rubber to me.”
Erin Ilagan ‘26 also added her opinion on Halloween candy and shared her dislike for peanut butter in candy.
“I can’t stand that peanut butter somehow finds its way into a ton of candy and treats I would otherwise enjoy,” says Ilagan, “I’m not allergic, but after seeing what a jar of peanut butter looks like when you leave it too long, I’ve never felt comfortable eating it.”
These food hot takes aren’t limited to students. Even faculty members have their own food preferences. Justin Fitzpatrick, a high school math teacher, weighed in with his combination of oatmeal and jelly beans.
Fitzpatrick says, “Oatmeal jelly beans are like oatmeal and raisins, except better and more sugary. Oatmeal and jelly beans are great.”
Fitzpatrick shared that oatmeal is something he has for lunch every day and something he doesn’t get sick of eating. The jellybeans just sometimes add a pop of extra flavor to his oatmeal.
Kermina Rezk ‘25 adds an unusual combination that she loves making when there’s not a lot of food left. It’s a loaf of bread with fried onions, potato chips, and a drizzle of sriracha sauce on top if she’s feeling fancy.
“People will probably see it as more of a struggle meal, but the sandwich combination tastes amazing,” she says.
In the land of candy and sandwiches, salad rarely gets its time in the spotlight. However some USN students are trying to change that narrative.
“A good salad can be just as satisfying as pizza or fries,” says Ethan Lu ‘27.
For Lu, choosing a combination of toppings, dressings, and protein can be very fun. He especially likes the salad bar at the USN cafeteria, claiming its convenience, variety, and toppings to make it a great choice.
No food debate is complete without mentioning the most divisive one – the great pineapple-on-pizza debate, which has sparked disagreements all over, and USN is no exception.
Pera McMillian ‘26 said that although pizza tastes amazing, he personally doesn’t like fruits on savory foods, “I don’t like pineapple on pizza because it’s like mixing sweet stuff with the flavor of the pizza.”
In contrast, Binyam Dunne ‘26 disagreed and said pineapple adds a pop of flavor that pizza lacks, making it taste much better.
“It really does a great job counteracting the savoriness of the cheese, which I like,” he said.
Rezk ‘25 added her thoughts on this debate and expressed that pineapple on pizza isn’t bad but that the texture of warm pineapple is not fun.
While most students have said that pizza is one of their favorite foods, opinions about what belongs on top of it might never be reconciled.
At the end of the day, USN is full of bold opinions and divisive food takes, and we may never agree on the same hot takes. Whether you’re team pineapple or team no pineapple, USN food debates are here to stay.
