Flavor profiles that pair well in recipes

Here is a really neat tool to use when you get stumped in the kitchen when it comes to pairing certain flavors together.  I know that I can often be found staring into the spice drawer, scratching my head wondering what spices to use with certain foods.  It’s a learning curve for me and one that I have come into late in life, but it is never to late to learn.   And in the meantime while learning to commit this to memory, this chart will come in quite handy.

( picture from: melindaswenson.com )

• Almond pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, caramel, cherry, coffee, fig, honey, orange, peach, pear, plum
• Apple pairs well with: caramel, cardamom, chestnut, cinnamon, cranberry, currant, ginger, hazelnut, mango, maple, rosemary, walnut
• Apricot pairs well with: almond, black pepper, caramel, cardamom, ginger, hazelnut, honey, orange, peach, vanilla, plum
• Asian Pear pairs well with: almond, apple, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, honey, macadamia, nutmeg, raisin, vanilla
• Banana pairs well with: caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, ginger, hazelnut, honey, mango, molasses, papaya
• Blackberry pairs well with: apricot, black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, hazelnut, lemon, other berries, peach, plum
• Blood Orange pairs well with: almond, cardamom, chocolate, cinnamon, clove, fig, ginger, honey, other citrus
• Blueberry pairs well with: other berries, cardamom, mango, lemon, hazelnut, ginger, fig, lavender, other citrus
• Carrot pairs well with: anise, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, walnut
• Cherry pairs well with: apricot, black pepper, chocolate, citrus, nectarine, peach, plum,  vanilla
• Chestnut pairs well with: apple, caramel, chocolate, coffee, pear, vanilla
• Cilantro (coriander) pairs well with: apricot, berries, cherries, citrus, nectarine, peach, plum, tropical fruit
• Coconut pairs well with: banana, Brazil nut, caramel, chocolate, citrus, Kaffir leaf, lemongrass, pineapple, other tropical fruits
• Cranberry pairs well with: apple, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, mango, mint, pear
• Currants, Black and Red, pairs well with: cassis, chocolate, citrus
• Elderberry pairs well with: apricot, fig, honey, lemon, mandarin, other berries, peach, plum
• Feijoa pairs well with: banana, berries, cinnamon, citrus, mango, vanilla
• Fig pairs well with: almond, black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, hazelnut, pear, vanilla
• Ginger pairs well with: almond, apple, apricot, banana, berries, Brazil nut, caramel, chocolate, citrus, coconut, grape, hazelnut, passion fruit, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, tropical fruit
• Gooseberry pairs well with: citrus, hazelnut, honey, other berries, white chocolate
• Grape pairs well with: chocolate, citrus, ginger, raisin
• Grapefruit pairs well with: basil, black pepper, caramel, citrus, mint, rosemary, thyme, tropical fruit, vanilla
• Guava pairs well with: citrus, lime, coconut, huckleberry, kaffir leaf, pineapple, strawberry, tropical fruit
• Hazelnut pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, berries, caramel, cherry, chocolate, citrus, fig, mandarin, peach, pear, plum
• Kaffir Leaf pairs well with: banana, citrus, coconut, lemongrass, tropical fruit, watermelon
• Kiwi pairs well with: apple, banana, berries, cherry, citrus, coconut, mango, tropical fruit
• Kumquat pairs well with: berries, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, persimmon, plum
• Lemon pairs well with: apricot, berries, black pepper, cardamom, cherry, citrus, ginger, nectarine, peach, plum, prickly pear, tropical fruit
• Lemongrass pairs well with: cherry, berries, citrus, coconut, ginger, guava, kaffir leaf, coconut, tropical fruit, vanilla
• Lime pairs well with: apple, berries, cherry, ginger, papaya, plum, strawberry, tropical fruit
• Lychee pairs well with: citrus, ginger, gooseberry, tropical fruit, vanilla
• Mandarin pairs well with: cardamom, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, fig, ginger, nutmeg, tropical fruits, vanilla, star anise
• Mango pairs well with: apple, banana, berries, caramel, citrus, coconut, melon, tropical fruits, vanilla, cinnamon
• Melon pairs well with: berries, citrus, lemongrass, lemon verbena
• Orange pairs well with: almonds, basil, berries, brandy, cherry, chocolate, cilantro, cinnamon, coffee, cranberry, fig, ginger, grape, hazelnut, mint, nutmeg, persimmon, pineapple, vanilla
• Papaya pairs well with: citrus, black pepper, lime, mango, tropical fruit
• Pear pairs well with: almond, apple, caramel, chestnut, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, ginger, hazelnut, vanilla, walnut
• Persimmon pairs well with: apple, black pepper, cinnamon, citrus, kumquat, pear
• Pineapple pairs well with: basil, caramel, cilantro, coconut, macadamia, rosemary, tropical fruit
• Plum pairs well with: almond, cinnamon, citrus, chestnut, black pepper, hazelnut, honey, vanilla
• Pomegranate pairs well with: apple, citrus, cucumber, mint, tropical fruit
• Prickly Pear pairs well with: citrus, lime, tomatillo, tropical fruit
• Raspberry pairs well with: apricot, cinnamon, citrus, ginger, lemon, nectarine, other berries, peach, plum, rhubarb, thyme, vanilla
• Rhubarb pairs well with: apple, apricot, berries, black pepper, citrus, ginger, nectarine, peach, plum, strawberry
• Strawberry pairs well with: apple, black pepper, chocolate, citrus, coriander, mint, rhubarb, vanilla
• Tomatillo pairs well with: berries, citrus, mango, prickly pear, tropical fruit
• Walnut pairs well with: apple, apricot, banana, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, rum

Resources are a mixed combination from: Askabout.com, and my own dabbling.

Posted on Sunday, July 31st, 2011 at 8:39 am. Filed under: Raw Techniques RSS 2.0 feed.