Whether it’s coming out of a sea blue bottle or fresh from a newly cracked coconut, coconut water evokes thoughts of a calming ocean breeze, sun-kissed everything, and tropical vibes. But, winter is here for us Northern Hemisphere folks. With the holiday season’s cloudy days, some coconut water can go a long way towards adding a bit of sunshine into daily life. One way to do that is with this unique recipe for ZICO Sunshine Chia Seed Pudding.

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For most of human history, we had no way of identifying what made certain dishes so delicious. We could describe sour, sweet, bitter, and salty sensations, but not savory. That is, until 1908, when Kikunae Ikeda discovered the fifth taste — umami. Umami is the essence of savory, giving life to some of the world’s most delectable ingredients like meat, soy sauce, and fish paste.

That same year, Ikeda identified the molecular happenings that take our taste buds on this journey. In short, he found that an amino acid called glutamate is largely responsible. Scientists have since expanded on Ikeda’s findings, saying there are nucleotides found in many foods that, when combined with amino acids, intensify the umami experience. It’s this interaction that gives alcohol and meat pairings so much depth, as the amino acids in alcohol pair exceptionally well with the nucleotides found in all meat.

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County fairs are widely known for fun and decadence, whether it be through the rides, attractions, or the food. And speaking of the food, in recent years its become the main attraction for many looking for some prime time indulgence. Usually deep fried, a sweet treat, or both, fair food scratches cravings that you didn't know you had, like a sudden hankering for deep fried butter. However, most of these foods are noticeably missing some pops of vibrant color. That's why the LA County Fair is going POP this year for their theme and rolling out a special discount POP Menu, where select foods are full of color and only $6.50. Check out some of our favorite picks below:

Tajin Dole Whip

Nitro Treats is taking Dole whip from Disneyland and bringing it right to your favorite mangonada stand. In a varied take on the treat, they're topping a smooth pineapple Dole whip with Chamoy and Tajin to give it that sweet chili flavor with a little bit of spicy zest.

Deep Fried Uncrustables

Chicken Charlie is a Southern California fair staple that's serves up a constantly rotating menu of off the wall fried foods. This time they're using a familiar after school snack: the Smuckers Uncrustable. By dipping it in a colored batter, they're turning the Uncrustable into a red nugget of deep fried deliciousness. Topped with a strawberry drizzle, powdered sugar, and fruity pebbles, this treat is bursting at the seams with vibrancy and flavor.

Rainbow Pop Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese sandwiches might be the most comforting of comfort foods, but they're not much fun to look at. The Dog House is addressing this by giving the cheese some POP. By using four different colors of cheese, once this sandwich has been grilled, it becomes a gooey, yummy rainbow.

Unicorn Elote

Though delicious, all elote is usually similarly colored. Crazy Corn is here to fix that. They're covering their corn with the usual mayo and butter combo, and then smothering the whole thing in different colored cheese to give it a full rainbow spectrum of colors.

Poprock Texas Donut

Everything is bigger in Texas, even the donuts. Aptly named Texas Donuts, this donut shop is covering a massive donut with a classic glaze, and then pop rocks. This gives the donut some color pop and a literal pop once you bite in.

32Oz Root Beer Float

How could you make a root beer float better? It's already sweet, creamy, and delectable. Well, you could super-size it, shooing the disappointment of finishing off until later. And that's exactly what MacPherson's Ice Cream is doing. This root beer float comes with a leaning tower of soft serve surrounded by a 32 oz. moat of root beer.

Chocolate Dipped Jerky

This sweet meat just got even sweeter. Timbo's Beef Jerky will have giant sticks of their chewy, savory jerky covered in luscious chocolate and sprinkles, to give it some color.

Which of these items sounds best to you? Luckily, it doesn't matter, as each item on the POP Menu only costs $6.50, so it's entirely possible to try all of them. And you can do this all at the LA County Fair in Pomona, CA, until September 22nd.

Created in partnership with LA County Fair. 

At Knott’s Berry Farm, boysenberry season is in full swing, meaning that the theme park’s annual lineup of boysenberry-laden eats is back.

This year’s Boysenberry Festival features some super-sized and creative items never seen before, with nearly 75 unique dishes on display for everyone to try. Here’s a look at some of the wildest and most decadent treats in the park you have to track down.

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Tacos are one of the eating vessels of choice when you’re in San Diego. Whether it be unique creations or straight outta a truck, tons of places are cramming their food inside of tortillas.

One of the more innovative ones is coming out of the minds of a local food star, who’s put together barbeque, mac and cheese, and tacos for a whirlwind combination of flavors.

This Smokey Pork & Mac Taco comes from the mind of Sam “The Cooking Guy” Zien. A local and nationally recognized TV and online food show host, he has his own place, Not Not Tacos, where he brings his zany culinary creations to life.

For the taco, Zien brings together creamy mac and cheese, pulled pork, sour cream, Sriracha, and green onions for a zesty, creamy, and tangy bite.

If you’re interested in trying this taco out for yourself, it’s being given away on the Hubert’s Lemon A Go Go Truck on Saturday, November 17th, nearby SDSU. It’ll be paired alongside bottles of Hubert’s Watermelon Lemonade.

For more details on the giveaway, you can head to foodbeast.com/huberts.

Photos by Pete Pham

Created in partnership with Hubert's Lemonade