Now, as you may know, there are ongoing conversations across the world about certain food/flavor mixtures and their culinary viability. I’ve come to inform you that London has their fair share of these debates. The world has been made plainly aware of the “beans-on-toast” controversy, but might I introduce you to the British innovation of “orange-on-chocolate”?

Last week, I made it my mission to venture into the world that saw the combination of orange and chocolate to be a good idea. Early in the week, I was able to try “Jaffa Cakes” for the first time, a mini orange-flavored sponge cake, covered with chocolate on one side. And to my surprise, it was pretty good! “Weird-good” for sure, but good nonetheless.

After my experiences with Jaffa Cakes, I started seeing orange-flavored snacks everywhere I looked. The grocery stores have what seems to be an entire section for them. Fortunately for me, I would have another opportunity to taste “orange-chocolate” before the week ended, I came across a cookie stand in Oxford and they were selling “orange and milk chocolate” cookies and I got one without hesitation. To no surprise, it was delicious and I was sold. So, thank you to London for breaking down my perceptions of what can and should work in a dish. I wouldn’t mind for you to do it again.

Some other things I did last week: I met up with my cousin Danique and we enjoyed a meal at a Philadelphia-inspired restaurant, I enjoyed a tour of lovely Oxford, and I got painfully ill which shut me down for the next 5 days.

• Kaelen (3/12/25)