John Myers
Chocolate and black pudding? Liquorice with fish? Why not?! With food pairing, the unusual combination of foods opens up completely new taste experiences. It is not just a matter of experimenting, but proceeding on a scientific basis.
Experimental trend: food pairing
The proof of the pudding is in the eating: When it comes to food pairing, it’s initially the other way around. The cooking trend uses algorithms to calculate which flavors go together and result in a delicious dish. It doesn’t matter which food is used. They just have to have the same main aroma component. Similar to fusion food, dishes are created with ingredients from all over the world. As a result, the invention of new recipes is no longer reserved for star chefs, everyone can now join the top chefs. All you need is software, a food pairing database, or books with a table of foods with the same key flavors.
Cooking with method in food pairing
If you would like to be inspired, simply select an ingredient and you will receive a list of suitable foods, which you can now combine with each other. The result is modern recipes that don’t leave boredom in the menu. Popular food pairing examples are a good way to get a feel for the new kitchen. They are not all that exotic and do not overwhelm the inexperienced palate or digestion. Veal with apple juice, lamb’s lettuce with bacon dates, or a strawberry and pumpkin salad will introduce you to the world of food pairing with the usual ingredients.
These flavors complement each other perfectly
If you would like to experiment a little yourself and find ingredients that go well together, you can of course also rely on your own taste experiences. Simply select two foods that each has one of the following seven key flavors and combine them:
- fruity, sour
- floral, fresh
- citrusy, herbal
- woody, tart
- vanilla-like, smoky
- spicy, cinnamon
- roasty, earthy
The principle can be applied across countries and categories. Mix ingredients from oriental recipes with typical German ones, flavors from main courses with those from desserts: Everything that tastes good is allowed!
The science of food pairing is far from over and is constantly being further developed. The cooking trend is increasingly including the consistency and condition of food in order to create a new taste. This is where molecular gastronomy comes into play – it will be exciting to see which creative combinations will enrich our diet in the future.
