Combining Flavors
We are, as you know, strong advocates for allowing yourself to play and experiment with your cooking, both in terms of techniques and flavor combinations. However, there is also no need to reinvent the wheel every time.
There’s hardly any doubt that chocolate and coffee are something close to a match made in heaven. We exploit this again and again in all sorts of cakes, confections, and other sweets. In recent years, we’ve also discovered that licorice can do something special, especially when combined with raspberries. But which other foods pair well together?
We’ll take a closer look at that now. You can use this guide as inspiration for both sweet and savory kitchens as well as for mixing exciting drinks and cocktails.
Why is Food Pairing Important?
Most of us are familiar with the five basic tastes and why they are so important to consider when we are assembling a really good meal. We know that a combination of sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami provides the ultimate taste experience. Once you have mastered this, you are well on your way.
However, there are also other tools that can be useful to have ready in your toolkit when creating exciting food experiences – among them, which foods generally go really well together. You can call them “safe,” but the fact is that they enhance each other and work super well together. This is also known as food pairing.
The fact that certain foods pair particularly well together is not coincidental, and food pairing is almost a greater science that is being researched more and more.
The Theory Behind Food Pairing
One could say that understanding the five basic tastes is fundamental when we talk about deliciousness. When you taste the spaghetti sauce, for instance, it’s important that all five basic tastes are represented to some degree. Additionally, you can choose to highlight or downplay some tastes by adding others.
Food pairing, on the other hand, is about combining two or more foods in a way that creates entirely new taste experiences. It’s, in a way, the more creative and artistic part of cooking. Have you ever seen the animated film Ratatouille? Here, we actually see a few examples of food pairing and what it can do.
Food pairing is largely about combining foods with shared flavor aromas. Naturally, this is not universal for creating exciting flavor combinations, as we also see examples of foods that rather complement each other because they have vastly different flavor profiles.
The theory behind food pairing is that the more shared characteristics there are in the flavors, the better they work together.
The reason why coffee and chocolate pair so well together is that they both contain the same chemical compound. Combining foods with the same chemical compounds is apparently something we in the Western world particularly enjoy. If you believe this, there are certain more or less controversial food combinations you can try – if you dare. How about garlic and coffee? Or can we tempt you with some caviar with white chocolate? The latter is actually a combination favored within molecular gastronomy.
Alcohol and fruit are two other components that share certain flavor characteristics, so it’s no wonder that fruity cocktails such as Aperol Spritz, Gin Hass, Mai Tai, and Bramble are particularly delightful.
A Strawberry’s Aroma Profile
The chemical compounds of foods – or aroma profiles, if you will – are the entire foundation of food pairing.
Taking the strawberry as an example, it contains many different aromas, although only a few of them are actually detected by our senses. About 60% of a strawberry’s aroma profile is “fruity.” The rest is primarily “cheesy” with a hint of “green,” “toasted,” and “citrus.”
This means that strawberries pair particularly well with parmesan (which has a strong “cheesy” profile) and chocolate (which has a “toasted” profile).
Good Flavor Combinations
- Strawberries and Parmesan
- Strawberries and Dark Chocolate
- Raspberries and Licorice
- White Chocolate and Blackberries
- White Chocolate and Raspberries
- Orange and Raspberries
- Goat Cheese and Pear
- Strawberries and Balsamic
- Goat Cheese and Honey
- Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
- Papaya and Lime
- Mango and Chili
- Watermelon and Feta
- Carrot and Honey
- Grapes and Sour Cream
How to Combine the Foods
You can use the following guide as a form of reference for both the sweet and savory kitchen, as well as for mixing cocktails.
For example, if you are baking a banana cake, you will see below that either cinnamon, ginger, lime, or rum are ingredients you might consider adding to make the flavor experience more nuanced and interesting. Enjoy.
Strawberries
Fruits & Vegetables
- Banana
- Elderflower
- Rhubarb
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
- White Chocolate
Nuts
- Walnuts
Cheese
- Goat Cheese
- White Cheddar
- Ricotta
- Cottage Cheese
Alcohol
- Champagne
- Rum
Spices & more
- Vanilla
- Cilantro
- Mint
Raspberries
Fruits & Vegetables
- Apricot
- Lemon
- Lime
- Rhubarb
- Nectarines
- Peach
- Plum
Chocolate
- White Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Parmesan
Alcohol
- Dark Rum
- Tequila
- Sweet Red Wine
- Champagne
Spices & more
- Licorice
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Mint
- Thyme
- Vanilla
Banana
Fruits & Vegetables
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Coconut
- Lemon
- Lime
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Nuts
- Hazelnut
- Macadamia
- Cashews
Cheese
- Mascarpone
Alcohol
- Rum
- Madeira
Spices & more
- Ginger
- Caramel
- Cinnamon
- Coffee
Apple
Fruits & Vegetables
- Orange
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mango
- Cherries
- Cranberries
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
Cheese
- Gouda (for tart apples)
- Brie/Camembert (for tart apples)
- Cheddar (for sweet apples)
Alcohol
- Rum
- Madeira
- Vermouth
Spices & more
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Rosemary
- Ginger
- Caramel
Lemon
Fruits & Vegetables
- Pear
- Cherries
- Coconut
- Peach
- Plums
Chocolate
- White Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
Cheese
- Mild cheeses (like mozzarella)
Alcohol
- Rum
- Vodka
- Moscato
Spices & more
- Basil
- Parsley
- Black Pepper
- Cardamom
- Ginger
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Vanilla
- Thyme
Orange
Fruits & Vegetables
- Banana
- Cherries
- Cranberries
- Fig
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Walnuts
Cheese
- Ricotta
- Camembert
- Mascarpone
Alcohol
- Amaretto
- Tequila
- Vodka
- Grenadine
Spices & more
- Anise
- Basil
- Thyme
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Coffee
- Ginger
Vanilla
Fruits & Vegetables
- Cherries
- Banana
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Coconut
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Watermelon
- Orange
- Pear
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
- White Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
Cheese
- Cream Cheese
Alcohol
- Vodka
- Whiskey
- Gin
- Rum
Spices & more
- Ginger
- Chestnut
- Cinnamon
Coconut
Fruits & Vegetables
- Banana
- Pineapple
- Mango
- Lime
- Passion Fruit
- Dates
- Elderflower
- Pickles
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Brazil Nuts
Cheese
- Feta
Alcohol
- Shiraz
- Champagne
- Rum
Spices & more
- Basil
- Caramel
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Cardamom
- Vanilla
- Honey
White Chocolate
Fruits & Vegetables
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Lemon
- Orange
- Strawberries
- Apricot
- Cranberries
Nuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Cashews
- Macadamia
Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Brie
Alcohol
- Champagne and other dry, sparkling wines
- Riesling
- Bailey’s
Spices & more
- Licorice
- Green Tea (especially Matcha)
- Agave
- Cardamom
- Wasabi
- Saffron
- Caviar
Milk Chocolate
Fruits & Vegetables
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Coconut
- Orange
- Avocado
- Apple
Nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Cashews
- Sesame Seeds
Cheese
- White Ricotta
- Brie
- Goat Cheese
Alcohol
- Rum
- Fruity Red Wines (e.g., Pinot Noir)
- Prosecco
- Light Beers and Pilsners
Spices & more
- Caramel
- Honey
- Lavender
- Black Tea
- Coffee
- Sea Salt
- Bacon
- Curry
- Chili
- Chai Tea
Dark Chocolate
Fruits & Vegetables
- Orange
- Coconut
- Strawberries
- Chili
- Lemon
- Banana
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Mango
- Olives
Nuts
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Hazelnuts
- Sesame Seeds
Cheese
- Goat Cheese
- Blue Cheese
Alcohol
- Robust Red Wine with Fruity Notes (e.g., Merlot, Shiraz, Zinfandel, Bordeaux)
- Amaretto
- Rum
- Cognac
- Cointreau
- Grand Marnier
- Kahlua
- Dark Beer (e.g., Stout)
Spices & more
- Coffee
- Licorice
- Bacon
- Vanilla
- Mint
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Sea Salt
- Caramel
- Black Pepper
- Earl Grey
- Chili
Chicken
Fruits & Vegetables
- Apricot
- Pear
- Nectarines
- Pineapple
- Grapes
- Banana
- Peach
- Lime
- Lemon
Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate
Nuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Peanuts
Cheese
- Brie
- Mozzarella
Spices & more
- Ginger
- Soy
- Basil
- Turmeric
- Parsley
- Cinnamon
- Thyme
- Coca-Cola
Pork
Fruits & Vegetables
- Peach
- Apple
- Figs
- Plum
- Pomegranate
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Cheese
- Blue Cheese
- Mozzarella
- Cheddar
- Fresh Cheese
Spices & more
- Fennel
- Ginger
- Mustard
- Paprika
- Rosemary
- Cilantro
- Cumin
- Chili
Beef
Fruits & Vegetables
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
- Kiwi
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Mango
- Apricot
- Pineapple
- Prunes
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
Spices & more
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Chili
- Mustard
- Cinnamon
Bacon
Fruits & Vegetables
- Apricot
- Fig
- Dates
- Prunes
- Banana
Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate
Nuts
- Peanuts
Cheese
- Gorgonzola
Alcohol
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Light Beer and Pilsners
- Brown Ale
- Whiskey
Spices & more
- Agave
- Vanilla