When we say that something tastes nice, what we are talking about has more to do with smell than with taste. It is estimated that 20% of a tasting experience comes from taste, that is from the tongue, whereas 80% comes from the smell or the aroma. Our tongue has about 9000 taste buds that are capable of detecting sweet, salt, sour and bitter (in order of increasing sensitivity). In comparison, we have around 5-10 million cells or receptors capable of detecting smell. There are about 1000 different smell receptors and they allow us to distinguish more than 10.000 different smells! This is possible because a specific volatile molecule can trigger more than one receptor. It is the combined response from these receptors that we perceive as a certain smell. The Nobel Prize in medicine for 2004 was awarded to Linda Buck and Richard Axel for their “discoveries of odorant receptors and the organization of the olfactory system”.

Based on the fact that aroma of foods is so important for the way we perceive them, a hypothesis can be put forward: if the major volatile molecules of to foods are the same, they might taste (and smell) nice when eaten together. The concept was first appreciated by Firmenich scientist Franí§ois Benzi. At one the first International workshops on molecular gastronomy in Erice, he got the idea that jasmin and pork liver which both contain indole could possibly work well together. And they did!



Photo credits: Jasmine flowers by Kpjas. Pig by The Pug Father.

Experimenting with salty ingredients and chocolate, Heston Blumenthal discovered that caviar and white chocolate are a perfect match. Franí§ois Benzi found that caviar and white chocolate had several amines in common. Since then, Heston Blumenthal has searched a commercial database with information on the contents of more than 7000 volatile molecules in several hundred different foods. Based on this, he has come up with a number of unusual combinations (from egullet.org and other sources). Some of the combinations are also from Herve This. The links are to Heston Blumenthal’s own recipes.

Pairings that possibly/probably have a molecular basis:

Chocolate and caraway (or: sauerkraut, aquavit etc.)

Chocolate and sage

Chocolate and tobacco

Chocolate, peanut and merlot vinegar

Chocolate and red wine

Mint and mustard

Parsnip, pear and vanilla

Minced meat and caramel

Orange and butternut squash

Apple and lavender

Onions, cinnamon, olives and caramel

Cocoa and mushrooms

Stilton and rhubarb

Chantarelle and apricot

Hazelnut and nutmeg

Honey/caramel and truffles

Sweet white wine and pea shoots

Cranberries and pistachio

Semolina pudding and red curry

Parmesan mousse

Olives, dried figs and brie

Onion, garlic and coffee

Chestnuts and praline

Tomato and strawberry

Aspargus and violet

Potato, coffee and capers

The flavour pairing principle can also be used for substitutions:

Basil (containing linalool, estagol and eugenol) can be substituted by a combination of coriander (linalool), estragol (tarragon, chervil or star anise) and cloves (eugenol)

Try to use coffee in stead of stock for gravies

Strawberries and tomatoes appear to be interchangeable

To explore flavour pairings like the ones I’ve described on this page, I have initiated a monthly food blogging event, They go really well together (TGRWT), and a summary with links to previous announcements and round-ups has been posted. You also check out my blogposts tagged TGRWT and/or posted in the flavor pairing category.

Databases which can be of interest for investigation of further flavour pairings:

Caramelized cauliflower and cocoa taste excellent when eaten together. It is fascinating how well the aroma of the two go together, and if I smell roasted cauliflower now, the smell actually reminds me of cocoa! Here’s how to make it:

Caramelized cauliflower and chocolate jelly

cauliflower

olive oil

salt

cocoa powder

water

sugar

agar

Cut cauliflower in 1 cm slices. Spread them on aluminum foil. Sprinkle with olive oil and salt. Bake in oven at 200 °C for approx. 30 min (turning the slices after 15 min). For the jelly, bring 1 dL of water to the boiling point. Add 1 ts of agar-agar, 1 ts of sugar and 1 TS of cocoa powder. Mix well, pour into a suitably sized container and leave to set. Cut jelly into pieces and serve together with caramelized cauliflower.

Other examples I have tasted include white chocolate/caviar, strawberry/coriander leafs, pineapple/blue cheese and banana/parsley (see picture below). They all go surprisingly well together, and I guess the challenge for the cooks is to find a suitable way of presenting these dishes. You can read about other bloggers attempts at this in the many TGRWT posts.



White chocolate/caviar (top left), strawberry/coriander leafs (or seeds), pineapple/blue cheese and banana/parsley