When I think of sour, my brain goes the slightly pedestrian route: to gummy candies bejeweled with sugar and long ropes of mouth-puckering deliciousness. But the realm of sour goes beyond this, swirling through flavor notes that touch upon citrus, yogurt, and fermented veggies—because sour needn’t be kept in a corner. For those who may think it’s Warheads or bust, your preconceived notions of sour are about to leave the back row of a movie theatre and step into the world of high dining.

Sour runs the gamut of creative flavors. From sour citrus to fermented veggies—think kimchi!—sour flavors can be combined with salty, spicy, and sweet for a one-two punch of tang and taste.

Foodservice professionals and home chefs alike are working with sour flavors to expand consumers’ palates. Long gone are the days when shoppers refused to break tradition; now, they’re looking for ways to break out of the flavor box, so to speak. From winning recipes like kimchi tacos to the more humble dessert pairing of balsamic vinegar and strawberries, sour notes are appearing in a wide range of dishes.

Cross-merchandise citrus with chocolate, berries with vinegar, and pickled veggies with tomatoes—I can’t be the only one who finds that a winning Bloody Mary combination.

When it comes to sour notes, the sky’s the proverbial limit.