Foodpairing - Methodology

Methodology

Foodpairing starts with an analysis of a food. The aroma compounds are determined with the aid of gas chromatography, which in most cases is coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The odorants are also quantified with other techniques. Key odorants can be identified by comparing the concentrations of the odorants with their respective flavor threshold. Key odorants are the compounds that a human will effectively smell. They are defined as every compound that is present in concentrations higher than their specific flavor threshold.

For example, coffee contains 700 different aroma compounds, but there are only a couple of aromas important for the smell of coffee because most of the aromas are present in concentrations that are not perceptible with the nose; they are present in concentrations lower than their flavor threshold.

The key odorants are essential to compose the flavor profile of the given product. The resultant flavor profile is screened against a database of other foods. Products which have flavor components in common with the original ingredient are retained. These products could be combined with the original ingredient. With this information, a foodpairing tree is built.

The essence of foodpairing is the practice of combining different foods that share the same major flavor components. Comparing the flavors of individual ingredients can result in new and unexpected combinations, such as strawberries paired with peas. This combination was adopted by Sang Hoon Degeimbre, chef of L’Air du temps in Belgium.