Gastrophysics: Getting creative with pairing flavours

Traditionally, in the West, the decision about which flavours to pair in a tasting experience has been as much the personal choice of the chef or, more likely, the sommelier, as anything else. However, the last couple of decades have seen a rapid growth of research interest in the pairing of flavours. Nowadays, one can find examples of people pairing everything from beer with food, tea with cheese and chocolate, etc. As interest in the marketing potential of flavour pairing has risen, along with the growing public fascination in the topic, scientists have become increasingly interested in trying to understand the principles (both cognitive/intellectual and perceptual) underlying the successful pairing of flavours. In this narrative review, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the chemical, computational (gastronomy), and perceptual approaches to pairing flavours are highlighted. Thereafter, I show how the various principles of pairing (both perceptual and cognitive/intellectual) can be extended beyond the domain of pairing flavour with flavour to consider the rapidly growing are of sonic seasoning. The latter term refers to those situations in which specific pieces of music or soundscapes are matched, or paired, with particular tastes/flavours based on the crossmodal correspondences. The review ends by considering the future development of pairings flavours, and assessing novel means of establishing connections between flavours and other sensations.