the 7 golden rules of flavour pairing

When I was studying to be a winemaker, we spent a lot of time learning about flavours and how our bodies perceive them. We also covered a lot about pairing wine with food.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but that knowledge helped be become a better cook.

So here are the golden rules of flavour pairing just for home cooks.

Feel free to extend them to your food and wine matches as well!

1. There are no rules .

I know this sounds a little Monty Python-esque but really the most important thing with putting different ingredients and flavours together is to use your imagination. There are no rules that work for every meal and every person so relax and don’t waste your time worrying about breaking them.

At the end of the day, the most important this is that you and your dining companions enjoy what you’re eating.

2. Trust your own instincts. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Even if you’re not super confident in the kitchen, you have YEARS of experience as an eater.

Those three-meals-a-day have taught you more than you realise about which flavours work well together, and those that don’t. So trust your taste buds and you’ll be fine.

3. Match the wine food with people first 

Just as some people don’t enjoy certain styles of wine, there are others who always have and always will hate certain foods, regardless of how well cooked.

It is true that sometimes this may be based on a bad experience with a poor quality example, and if the person in question did actually try a well cooked example, they may find that they love it. But forcing people to try things against their will is not going to do anyone any favours.

So please respect that everyone’s palate is different and think about your guests first and the food second.

4. Flavours can contrast one another

 Contrast is something I, personally, love to play with. Think a hot fiery curry with a cooling slick of natural yoghurt. Or a rich piece of slow cooked pork belly with a refreshing squeeze of lemon. It’s all about looking for the difference in ingredients or dishes and using them to your advantage.

And don’t just limit yourself to flavours. Contrasting textures and temperatures are just as useful in choosing which ingredients to use in a particular dish.

5. Flavours can compliment each other 

Finding similarities between ingredients is another way to approach successful flavour pairing. Similarities can build on one another to give a stronger result in the finished dish. Think of the earthiness found in both lentils and mushrooms and how well these work together.

6. Intensity is important

 Lighter, more delicate flavours generally work best with other lighter flavours because anything too intense or heavy can overpower. Think of steamed fish with a squeeze of lime.

By the same token, strong flavours tend to be best when teamed with other intense flavours, with care of course..