The Science of Food Pairings

You arrive at the five-star restaurant that you’ve been asking your significant other to take you to for months. You check your coat at the door and follow the maître d’ to your table. You scan the menu reading words like pommes puree, beurre blanc, aioli and béchamel. After desperately googling what they mean while trying to hide your phone on your lap, you order the braised lamb accompanied by hen of the woods mushrooms and parmesan gnocchi. Hen of the woods? Just go with it. After taking your order and not writing anything down, the waiter asks what kind of beverage you would like to pair with your entrée. You nervously fumble around for the drink menu and glance down at it. Oh no, another set of fancy words you don’t know. Luckily, the waiter comes to your rescue.

“I’ll bring you something our mixologist recommends,” he says.

You thank him, and he swiftly returns with an old fashioned lowball glass. Inside, a spherical ice cube immersed in dark brown liquid.

“This is an aged dark rum with some sweet vermouth and Sicilian Amaro that will pair nicely with your dish,” he says.

The culinary practice of food pairing is done by many people, from the layman to the professional. Sometimes you don’t even realize you’re doing it.

“Everyone does it, whether it’s conscious or not. I may put a little more thought into it than I used to,” said mixologist Josh Barrett. Barrett has 20 years’ experience mixing cocktails in brewpubs, bars and upscale restaurants.

Whether you pair food and drink, or food with more food, the art of pairing involves all five senses of the body and the five tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami).

Even though everyone has some experience pairing food, what tastes good to one person, may not to another. James Fraser is a chef and professor for the Resort and Hospitality Management program at Florida Gulf Coast University.

“Taste is subjective. It depends a lot on the way you were brought up,” Fraser said.

He believes your taste habits come from your parents. For example, if your parents had an aversion to salt and therefore never cooked with it, you may be more sensitive to the seasoning.

Fraser also believes that to really bring forth exceptional flavors when pairing, one must have at least 10 years of experience plating food, they must travel to learn how food and its flavors are made and they should experiment with food and flavors in their free time.

But why do certain flavors pair well together?

A Manhattan with a juicy New York strip. A citrusy aperitif with a light and flaky filet of Haddock.

Let’s break down the first pairing. A Manhattan is composed of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters served straight up in a martini glass with a maraschino cherry as garnish. The sweetness of the drink pairs well with the caramelization and char that’s on the outside of the meat after its cooked. The sweet vermouth, which is essentially fortified wine, in a Manhattan helps soften the strong taste of the whiskey. Adding bitters gives the drink a kind of bite that highlights the taste flavor of the same name. The combination of the whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters along with the cherry garnish produces a sweetness that contrasts well with the rich flavors from the meat.

On the other hand, some pairings go well together because of a certain flavor they have in common. For example, blue cheese and pineapple both contain methyl hexanoate, a clear, colorless chemical also found in alcohol, coffee, black tea and some berries.

Whether on purpose or by accident, both Fraser and Barrett agree that experience plays a key role in food pairing.

“I try to learn a little every day,” Barrett said. “Trial and more than a few errors have helped me hone my craft.”

You’re close to finishing your braised lamb gnocchi with hen of the woods mushrooms paired with your handcrafted cocktail. You savor every bite, thinking about all the flavors that go into the pairing. After your meal, you pay the check, grab your coat and head home wishing you took a look at the dessert menu.

You arrive home, open the fridge and treat yourself to your favorite pairing, a big glass of milk and chocolate chip cookies.

ASF

Hen of the woods mushrooms: A mushroom native to China, parts of Japan and North America. This mushroom is widely eaten in Japanese cuisine and is making its way into American cuisine.

Gnocchi: Dough dumplings that can be made with various ingredients such as wheat flour, egg, cheese and breadcrumbs. It is sometimes referred to as potato pasta.

Mixologist: An individual who is proficient in the art of mixing and making cocktails.

Vermouth: Fortified wine that is made with herbs, spices and roots. There are two types: dry and sweet.

Angostura bitters: Alcoholic liquid infused with botanicals that result in a bitter-flavored mixture to use in flavoring cocktails.

Pommes Puree: Mashed potatoes.

Aioli: Mediterranean sauce made with garlic and oil; essentially a mayonnaise.

Beurre Blanc: A warm butter sauce.

Béchamel: A white sauce made from a white roux and milk.

Aperitif: A refreshing alcoholic beverage served before a meal to increase appetite.