What Will They Pair Next?

The art of pairing food and drink is a modern trend that seemingly has no end. Today, the question isn't whether shellfish pairs best with chardonnay or shiraz, but which single-source gourmet dark chocolate best marries a porter. Or whether Italian roast coffee shines with cave-aged Gruyere or fresh ricotta.

This insistence in pairing unlikely items could be considered part of broadening of the nation's palate. The trend of pairing food and drink is led by fashionable restaurateurs and bold gourmets, and has Americans searching for the next big taste sensation. This matchmaking is helping the American mainstream to open to new ways of thinking about old flavors.

Another example is the partnering of scotch and sushi at San Francisco's Nihon restaurant. Or the pairing of riesling and steak tartare at New York's Riingo restaurant. Even coffee and cheese are becoming a compatible pair, with classes offered by Murray's Cheese shop in New York.

It's an extension of Americans' almost obsessive interest in the provenance of their food, says Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief of Food & Wine magazine. "As people understand the individual nuances of things, then the next question in their mind is how do they go together."

Consider the flavor blends of wasabi and maple, sea salt and smoked tea or cloves and green apple. Those taste combinations span the spectrum, from sweet, hot and tangy to bitter, sour and a host of tastes in between. Experts say they are among 2007's 10 top taste-tempting combinations, destined to influence the way foods will be seasoned in restaurants and in homes during this year.
 
How about thyme and tangerine, lavender and honey, crystallized ginger and salted pistachio, cumin and apricot, toasted mustard and fennel seeds, caramelized garlic and Riesling vinegar or Tellicherry black pepper and berries. These predictions come from a flavor forecast containing the views of America's top chefs, television personalities and cookbook authors, compiled by the herb and spice experts at McCormick & Co.

"Global cuisines, particularly those of North Africa, Asia and the Middle East, continue to drive our exploration of new foods and flavors,” according to Laurie Harrsen, director of consumer interests at McCormick. “Chefs have long celebrated the value of the complementary and contrasting nuances of pairings in their cooking. Now, as home cooks continue to become more adventurous with food, they are developing an appreciation for this concept."

At one time, people were more concerned about which side dish to serve with a certain meat or fish, or which wine to match with a particular course. They are now looking deeper into flavor pairing. Many chefs have their own opinion about the crisp, refreshing and healthful pairing of cloves with green apples. They are frequently are used in the cuisines of Africa, Asia and India. Clove is an important ingredient in several ethnic spice blends, such as Chinese five-spice, garam masala, berbere and bahart.
 
As consumers think more about how food and drink interact with each other, marketers are happy to fuel the interest. The popularity of mixed drinks has also driven interest in pairing cocktails with food. And of course, there are bound to be plenty of failures. For courageous foodies who are game for a taste of these unorthodox pairings but unsure where to start, help is available. But since taste is so relative, many foodies are reluctant to say which combinations work and which do not. If you like it, it works.

There are some guidelines that can improve your odds of liking a pairing. Karen Page, co-author of What to Drink with What You Eat, encourages people to think regionally because foods and drinks with common backgrounds often have complementary flavors. Cheddar cheese and hard cider, for example, match well. Both are products of England. Page also encourages people to generalize about the heft of the food. Hearty food, hearty drinks and lighter food, lighter drinks—so stout might be a better complement to a roast-beef sandwich than to a leafy salad.

Perhaps most important, however, is balance. "Every food has certain things that other foods need from a flavor perspective," says David Kamen, chef instructor at the Culinary Institute. "Look for those opposites that attract. For example, sweet and acidity, sweet and spicy, hot and cold, salty and sweet." Balance is why fried foods and sparkling wines work so well together. Beyond their shared effervescent nature, the acidity of the wine cuts through the fat of the food, he says.