EATING 101

RU DINING HEALTHY?
A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE RU HEALTHY DINING TEAM
A Joint Program Between RU Dining Services and the Department of Nutritional Sciences

Food Pairings: A Love Story

th

In the early 20 century, by forces unknown, two unlikely condiments met and it was love at first bite. This love
story for the ages is none other than the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. When the harmonious flavors of peanut
butter joined jelly, something very beautiful happened and not by chance or fate, but by science. Do you know what
important factors make food pairings..well pair? It may be on the tip of your tongue. Read on to learn the sweet
science behind your favorite food pairings and how you can use them to experience food in a new way!

Your Nose Just Knows

Do Us a Flavor
Your tongue can detect 5 tastes:
sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.
Each taste alone tantalizes our taste
buds in a particular way, but when
paired, they elicit a unique
experience. Bitter flavors can be
rounded out with sweet; sour foods
can cut through savory umami flavors
and salt can enhance any food its
paired with.
Try it Out!
Combine bitter sauted greens like
kale or spinach with a drizzle of sweet
honey
Pour a small drizzle of sour balsamic
vinegar over sweet strawberries
Try a salad of salty feta with sweet
watermelon
Pair umami chicken and parmesan
with a squeeze of sour lemon

While your tongue senses 5 tastes,

your nose can detect up to 1 trillion
smells. It turns out the nose actually
has a bigger influence on the
perception of flavor than your
tongue. Test it yourself! Take a swig
of your morning coffee and hold your
nose. Your tongue will detect the
bitterness, but beyond that, you cant
tell what youre drinking. The
nuances of your coffee come from its
enticing aromas. So how does that
play into food pairings? Some
molecular gastronomists believe
foods with the same smells can be
used to replace one another in
recipes.
Try it Out!
Consider that PB&J: grape jelly smells
very fruity, right? Try replacing high
sugar jelly with fresh fruits such as
bananas, strawberries or blueberries.
Those fruity smells will still pair well
with your peanut butter, but have
less sugar.

Mi Flavor, Su Flavor?
Have you ever thought about putting
cinnamon in your tomato sauce?
How about peanuts on your
noodles? Fermented cabbage in your
rice? We bet those pairings never
really crossed your mind. The
reason? You probably didnt grow up
eating these combinations. Most of
the food pairings we think of have a
base in what we are accustomed to
culturally. These interesting food
parings would not sound so strange
in Greece, Thailand or Korea,
respectively. This only goes to show
that foods you may not expect can
taste great together!
Try it Out!
Get creative with your food pairings;
theres a world of possibilities.

Love is in the pair!

Authored By: Taylor Palm

Reviewed By: Rutgers Dining Services Chef Ian Keith, Culinary Institute of America Graduate
References: Chartier, F. (2012). Taste buds and molecules: The art and science of food, wine, and flavor(p. 109). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.
Klepper, M. (2011). Food Pairing Theory: A European Fad. Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture, 11(4), 55-58. Bray, N. (2014).
The nose knows one trillion smells. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 15(281). Berg JM, Tymoczko JL, Stryer L.(2002) Biochemistry, 5 th edition.
New York, NY.: W.H. Freeman.
Questions? Post on our Facebook (RU Healthy Dining Team) Twitter (@RUHDT), Instagram (@RU_HDT) or e-mail us at
peggyp@dining.edu. Our mission is to educate students about nutrition and encourage them to make healthier food and lifestyle choices. For
more info, nutrient analysis and past newsletters, visit our web page at http://food.rutgers.edu or visit our blog at http://ruhdt.wordpress.com