Food Pairing: What It Is and Why it's Awesome.
2:44 PM
Have you ever wondered why coffee and chocolate go so well
together? Food chemists and scientists have wondered the same thing, and
have been tackling the question with mass spectrometers and gas chromatography. Through
discovery of specific aromatic compounds (in other words, smells) in various
foods by concentration, it was confirmed that foods that share the same aromatic
and flavor compounds will taste good when paired together.
Years of industry research have determined that the foods
that pair well in a certain recipe share specific key aromas. In fact, you
should credit aromas for the majority of your flavor experience—80% of what you
taste in terms of flavor is essentially aroma, not taste or texture.
Remember that slightly off-putting, hand-drawn tongue from
our primary school science textbooks? Each section of the tongue in the diagram
supposedly coordinated with a specific taste. But what if I told you that our
long held belief that we use different areas of our tongue to perceive five
different tastes is a myth?
In fact, the process of tasting takes
place in our brains—not on our tongues.
Thank Dr. Charles S. Zuker, Ph.D. and
professor of biochemistry, molecular biophysics, and neuroscience for the
debunking:
“Dedicated taste receptors in the tongue detect sweet or bitter and so on, but it’s the brain that affords meaning to these chemicals.” (Credit: Columbia University Medical Center)
It seems that our
tongue’s taste receptors can detect tastes such as sweet, bitter, or savoriness
(also called umami), but it’s the brain that ultimately assigns meaning to
these chemicals. That's why when we have sinus congestion we have difficulty
tasting things. If you want to test this yourself, just plug your nose while
sipping coffee—although coffee contains over 1,000 aromas, it will immediately
turn into a bitter drink without the presence of smell.
Food pairing has been around a long
time; in fact, we do it all the time. When you add spices to a dish, you’re
thinking about what combinations will make your food taste good. Would you add
a layer of cheese on top of your waffles? Or salsa on top of your ice cream?
Probably not. In the same vein, we may not drink a glass of milk with sushi,
but we would perhaps drink white wine with our salmon.
So, what does this mean for coffee and chocolate?
For one thing, coffee and chocolate share origins and
processes that both overlap and deviate in fascinating ways. Both beans are
incredibly complex in flavor independently, but when paired together, can
provide a deliciously unique flavor combination.
The strategy is to find pairings that have flavor and aroma
elements that both complement (such as nutty and spicy tones) and contrast (bitter with fruity tones) one
another. Identify the dominant aromas and flavor
notes when paired together, and decide which pairings you like and don’t like.
A few starter tips for pairing chocolate and coffee:
- It’s suggested one begin with single origin roasts and single origin chocolates to get a feel for the specific aroma and flavors of each specific bean region (as opposed to a blended roast which combines beans from different regions) or a chocolate bar that combines beans or adds another flavor element, such as salt, caramel, or red chili.
- The cacao percentage expressed on a chocolate bar is the ingredient content from the cacao plant which includes the cocoa butter and chocolate solids; the remaining percentage is the sugar content. So, for an 80% bar, 20% is sugar. (Take a look at the ingredients on a Hershey bar—what you’re eating is not real chocolate).
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| "Trust us." Sincerely, coffee and chocolate |
Remember, trust your palate! What tastes delicious to one
person, may be off-putting to someone else. The fun is in the exploration and
discovery. Through time, you will be able to expand your palate and recognize
the myriad of flavor tones and aromas found in coffee and chocolate.
Everyone involved at Sip & Melt looks forward to sharing our coffee and chocolate pairing adventures with you!
-Sip & Melt
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