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