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Chapter 9 The Impact of Spice<br />

SUMMARY<br />

Table 9.3 Safe Bets for Food Spices <strong>and</strong> Herbs<br />

Herb or Spice Possible Wines<br />

Cori<strong>and</strong>er <strong>and</strong> dill Sauvignon Blanc<br />

Mint Cabernet Sauvignon<br />

Fresh chiles Crisp, fruity whites<br />

Spices can be categorized into three main groups:<br />

sweet, savory, <strong>and</strong> hot. These categories represent prominent<br />

spice flavors that impact the match relationship between<br />

<strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong>. This relationship is impacted not<br />

only by the type of spice but also by the level of spice.<br />

Sweet spices are inherently more <strong>wine</strong>-friendly than hot<br />

spices. The level of potential match <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong>-friendliness<br />

is influenced by the level of savory spices, hot spices, <strong>and</strong><br />

sweet spices as well as whether the <strong>wine</strong> selected creates<br />

a similar or contrasting match with the <strong>food</strong> item.<br />

Spices <strong>and</strong> herbs are distinguished by where these<br />

items are derived from on a plant; herbs come from the<br />

Dried chiles Try fruity, lightly acidic whites or lighter reds<br />

Garlic Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay<br />

Ginger Alsace Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Champagne<br />

Mustard Solid acidic whites (Sancerre, Riesling), lighter Chardonnays (unoaked), lighter<br />

Pinot Noir, Rioja<br />

Saffron Dry whites, young Tempranillo<br />

Pepper Tannic or rustic reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Côtes du Rhône<br />

Horseradish Fruity, lightly acidic white or light red (Sancerre, Dolcetto, Beaujolais)<br />

The exception to this rule is the impact of fruit-forward <strong>wine</strong>s from the New World.<br />

While these will not be a great match with highly peppery <strong>and</strong> hot spicy <strong>food</strong>s, they will<br />

hold their own in this relationship up to moderate or intense spice levels.<br />

The good to synergistic match is determined by the level of spice <strong>and</strong> basic spice flavor<br />

matching in both <strong>food</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong>, with acidity, sweetness, <strong>and</strong> texture as other important<br />

factors.<br />

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS<br />

1. What are the prominent spice categories?<br />

2. How are the different spice sensations defined?<br />

3. What <strong>wine</strong> elements interact with <strong>food</strong> spice?<br />

leaves, while spices come from other parts of the plant.<br />

Herbs <strong>and</strong> herbal characteristics are important in the <strong>wine</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> match. Herbs are more <strong>wine</strong>-friendly than spices<br />

as a rule.<br />

Spices can have a substantial limiting effect on<br />

matching levels of <strong>wine</strong> with <strong>food</strong>. High levels of savory<br />

<strong>and</strong> hot spices are potential ‘‘<strong>wine</strong> killers’’ as much as excessive<br />

<strong>food</strong> sweetness, acidity, saltiness, <strong>and</strong> bitterness. An<br />

assessment of <strong>food</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>wine</strong> spiciness is an essential element<br />

in predicting the possibility <strong>and</strong> level of match between<br />

a <strong>wine</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>food</strong> item.<br />

4. What impact do <strong>wine</strong> tannin, sweetness, <strong>and</strong> acidity<br />

have on <strong>food</strong> spice?

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