food-and-wine-pairing-a-sensory-experience-robert-harrington

This exercise is designed to establish
baseline measures of acidity levels in
food items. It includes both standardized
food items that can be purchased already
prepared and pasta preparations that
range in acidity level. These will provide
consistent baseline measures of acidity
that will serve as points of reference in
future tasting evaluations. The food items
are those shown in the Food Sensory Anchor
Scale (Figure B.1). As with the wine
MATERIALS NEEDED
EXERCISE 5.5
RANKING ACIDITY LEVELS IN FOOD
samples, your perception of acidity in
these food items may vary. Acidity may
also vary slightly based on ripeness of
products used and regional differences.
OBJECTIVE
The primary objective of this exercise is
to establish baseline acidity levels in food
products.
Table 5.11 Materials Needed for Exercise 5.5
Prepackaged food items: milk, yogurt, orange juice, grapefruit juice Napkins
Exercise 5.5 123
Mise en Place: Things to Do Before
the Exercise Prior to evaluation,
become familiar with the numerical examples
shown in the Food Sensory Anchor
Scale. Keep this scale at your side
as a reference during the evaluation
process. While this exercise focuses on
acidity, don’t miss this opportunity to do
an informal evaluation of the other elements
in each food sample (sweetness,
fattiness, saltiness, flavor intensity, etc.).
Items for pasta preparation (see recipes) Drinking water for each student
1 copy Food Sensory Anchor References sheet per student Glasses for water
1 copy food acidity evaluation sheet per student Cooking utensils
Utensils for food items Paper plates / bowls to serve items
Table 5.12 Examples of Food Acidity Levels for Exercise 5.5
Description of Sweetness Food Items Pasta Mixtures*
No to low acidity, value band 0–2 Pasta tossed with extra virgin olive oil
Little acidity, value band 2–4 Milk, cow’s
Moderate acidity, value band 4–6 Yogurt Pasta tossed with balsamic vinaigrette
Moderate / high acidity, value
band 6–8
Orange juice Pasta tossed with equal parts balsamic
vinaigrette and balsamic vinegar
Highly acidic, value band 8–10 Grapefruit juice Pasta tossed with balsamic vinegar