Pairing food and drink, what to look for?
Have you ever eaten a dish that for some reason, tasted even better than it had ever done before? Well, chances are it’s because of what you were drinking with it. Pairing your food with the right drink is a surefire way to make any plate in front of you taste even more delicious, and the best part is, it doesn’t have to be difficult to make these connections. Whether you’re cooking at home or eating in a restaurant, here’s everything you should be looking for when you want to pair your food and drink:
The basics
The first step in pairing your food and drink is knowing the basics, or well, the five golden rules:
- Intensity: To avoid either the food or drink overpowering the other, it’s important the flavours work together in harmony.
- Weight: Make sure the weight of your drink matches the weight of the food on your plate.
- Acidity: You can quickly cut through oily and salty foods with an acidic drink.
- Sweetness: Avoid any flavours appearing bland by pairing sweet food with sweet drinks.
- Heat: Smoother and sweeter drinks will help cool off any hot and spicy dishes.
Best drinks to pair with red meats
While your first thought might be to pair red meats with a rich glass of red wine, beer is also a good choice – especially when pairing with more greasy foods. For something non-alcoholic, iced tea makes an ideal drink to pair with your steak since it’ll soften the fat in the meat and will make you have a more balanced bite.
Best drinks to pair with seafood
Another classic pairing conundrum. Traditionally, you can’t go wrong with pairing seafood with a good glass of white wine, but lemonade is also a great alternative for those who aren’t quite sure which bottle to order!
Best drinks to pair with desserts
If you’ve got to the end of your mains – and to the end of your glass – dessert can be a great place to order something new for the table. For citrus or tart desserts, the floral notes of a camomile tea will work perfectly. If you fancy something a little fruitier or chocolatey, opt for a glass of champagne or prosecco instead.
Pairing your food with your drink isn’t anything snobbish. In fact, once you’ve got a hang of it, chances are everyone around the table will be asking for your advice on what to order next!
