What is A Flavor Guide to Pairing Fruits? Foodpairing is a method for identifying which foods go well together from a flavor standpoint. The method is based on the principle that foods combine well with one another when they share key flavor components.
What is a flavor scientist and pairing fruits?
The profession of a scientist who develops the flavors is Flavor Chemist or Flavorist.
How the flavor industry was born?
Flavorists, as a profession, came about when affordable refrigeration for the home spurred a major growth of food processing technology. Processes used in the food industry to provide safe products often affect the quality of the flavor of the food. To the detriment of the manufacturer, these technologies remove most of the naturally occurring flavors. To remedy the flavor loss, the food processing industry created the flavor industry. The chemists that tackled the demand of the food processing industry became known as flavorists, and, thus, the flavor industry was born
Education in pairing fruits
Flavorists are often graduated either in Chemistry, Biology or Food Science up to PhDs obtained in subjects such as Biochemistry and Chemistry. Because, however, the training of a flavorist is mostly done on-the-job and specifically at a flavor company known as a flavor house, this training is similar to the apprentice system. Located in Versailles (France), ISIPCA French School offers 2 years of high-standard education in food flavoring including 12 months traineeship in a flavor company. This education program provides students with solid background in flavor formulation, flavor application, and flavor chemistry (analysis and sensory). The British Society of Flavourists together with Reading University provide, every year, a 3-week flavorist training course for flavorists from all around the world.
What is food pairing?
Foodpairing is a method for identifying which foods go well together from a flavor standpoint. The method is based on the principle that foods combine well with one another when they share key flavor components. Foodpairing is a relatively new method and is often confused with wine and food matching. By contrast, foodpairing uses HPLC, gas chromatography and other laboratory methods to analyse food and to find chemical components that they have in common. Foodpairing should not be confused with the discredited protein combination theory for vegetarians and vegans. The term should also not be confused with food combining for health reasons.
How it all began – the story?
Experimenting with salty ingredients and chocolate, Heston Blumenthal, chef of The Fat Duck, discovered that caviar and white chocolate are a perfect match. To find out why, he contacted François Benzi of Firmenich, the largest privately owned flavor house in the world. By comparing the flavor analysis of both foods, they found that caviar and white chocolate had major flavor components in common. At that time they stated a hypothesis that different foods will combine well together when they share major flavor components, and foodpairing was born. In 2009, The Flanders Taste foundation organized a gastronomic symposium, The Flemish Primitives, completely dedicated to foodpairing.
Consider this when pairing fruits and keeping flavor?
- Children, who generally favor 60% more flavor in their food than adults, are partial to intense flavors like super sweet or sour candies.
- Hispanic consumers often prefer sweeter beverages.
- The American obesity epidemic has also driven some manufactures to try to formulate new low-fat, yet still flavorful, foods.
- Flavor companies can imitate the mouth feel of fat with seemingly creamy starches and polysaccharides or replicate the moistness of fatty foods with humectants like glycerin.
Sources to learn more about flavor and pairing fruits:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavorist
- https://www.thespruceeats.com/fruit-flavor-combinations-for-cocktails-760298
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodpairing
- https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/food-science/flavor-science1.htm
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