Of course, Fruit Roll-Ups are just that: rolled-up fruit-flavored snacks that debuted in the 1980s, known to turn your tongue a fun color (who wasn’t obsessed with that as a kid?). Meanwhile, Wheaties cereal — aka the “Breakfast of Champions” — has been around since the early 1920s, so the contestants had several decades to cover during the challenge that produced Jonathan Bennett’s favorite dish on the show. “When you taste it, you can taste the Wheaties and you can taste the Fruit Roll-Ups — so you get that nostalgic trigger — but at the same time, it’s elevated to a completely different level,” he told Mashed of the dish.
He added that it was the “best fish I’ve ever had in my whole life. Who would’ve thought you could put Fruit Roll-Ups on a fish and it’s delicious?” The episode featuring this dish hasn’t aired yet, so you’ll have to follow along with the series to watch exactly how it all plays out. In the meantime, heed Bennett’s warning before trying to recreate this Fruit Roll-Up-inspired fish for yourself: “Don’t try this at home, kids.”
New episodes of “Battle of the Decades” premiere Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Food Network. You can keep up with Jonathan Bennett’s latest projects on his Instagram page.