Fruit and alcohol? Chocolate and cheese? The surprising science of food pairing

Food scientists and chefs have been investigating and comparing the flavor compounds in various ingredients

For some, recipe writing is an art, born of intuition and pragmatism. But like most disciplines, the culinary world has become susceptible to the pull of data.

In recent years, food scientists and chefs have begun studying the flavor compounds that appear in certain ingredients and searching for similarities elsewhere. Sites like Foodpairing.com even offer paid AI services to chefs looking for new combinations, as well as to customers seeking to better understand their own palates.