Pairing

Pairing refers to the practice of matching food with complementary beverages, such as wine, traditional Korean alcoholic drinks, or tea, during a dining experience. Beyond simply serving to quench thirst, its purpose is to balance the aromas, textures, and body of the food and beverages in order to maximize their respective flavors or create a new, third flavor.

1. Basic Principles Pairing is broadly structured around two contrasting principles.

• Contrast: This approach uses contrasting qualities in food and beverages to cleanse the palate. A typical example is serving a high-acidity wine with a rich dish to cut through the fat coating the mouth.

• Congruence: This approach creates synergy by combining similar characteristics in food and beverages. An example is matching a deeply flavored red-meat dish with a full-bodied red wine high in tannins.

2. Key Considerations

• Body: The texture of the food and the viscosity of the beverage should be balanced. A light white wine is chosen for a light salad, while a fuller-bodied beverage is selected for a dish with a rich sauce.

• Acidity: Acidity enlivens the flavors of food and stimulates salivation. In general, the beverage should have higher acidity than the food so that its flavor is not overwhelmed.

• Sweetness: In dessert pairings, the beverage should be sweeter than the food to prevent the food from tasting bitter.

• Tannin & Fat: Tannins in red wine bind with proteins and fats, reducing astringency and making the meat feel more tender.

3. Types of Pairing

• Wine Pairing: The most common form of pairing, in which wines are served with each course based on the acidity, sweetness, and tannins of each grape variety.

• Korean Traditional Liquor Pairing: This form has gained attention alongside the growth of Korean dining and matches dishes with the alcohol content and aromas of beverages such as takju, yakju, and distilled spirits.

• Non-Alcoholic Pairing: This approach has recently become an established trend. It combines house-fermented kombucha, herbal extracts, fruit juices, and other ingredients to offer a gastronomic experience to guests who do not drink alcohol.

4. Terroir Pairing

• Definition: An approach that combines ingredients produced in a particular region with beverages produced in the same region.

• Example: A representative example is pairing goat cheese from France's Loire region with Sauvignon Blanc from the same region.