Apart from the sheer number of sauces with which you can choose to slick your pasta, there is a whole bevy of variations on the standard recipes. However, have you ever heard of sprinkling some instant coffee granules into your spaghetti sauce?

In 2015, British grocery chain Sainsbury's ran a campaign suggesting that customers add some instant coffee to their spaghetti bolognese. According to Cath Wilkins, head of consumer PR at Sainsbury's, “The coffee adds an underlying depth of flavor that helps to balance the sweetness of the tomato-based ragu.”

Initially, the suggestion launched a bit of scandal on Twitter, where people from around the world reacted incredulously to the idea. To employ this trick at home, Sainsbury's suggests dissolving a teaspoon of instant coffee in chicken or beef stock, then mixing it into bolognese.