One of the best descriptions of good food pairings that I know of comes from the Pixar movie “Ratatouille”. Granted, that was a movie I watched with my kids, but the ideas about food and flavor were quite sophisticated. In particular, the main character describes two ingredients with their own, wonderful flavors. Flavors that zing or go boom. When combining these flavors he created something new and spectacular. Because of that movie, I refer to this as the zing-boom-pow effect.
Learning to pair beer with food is a lifelong pursuit that is all about the journey, not the destination. A great pairing has a way of elevating the experience, the discussion, the memory, and with some luck, the relationships with those around us.
I’ve spent a fair amount of time learning, thinking about and experimenting with food and beer pairing. Not everything works. Sometimes we inadvertently create a zing-boom-dud effect. That’s when we need help learning what went wrong and what to do about it. My next guest is one of the leaders in the food and beer pairing vanguard. And, she wants to help you create better pairings.
Show Links
Beer Pairing: The Essential Guide From the Pairing Pros
The Brewmasters Table: Discovering The Pleasures of Real Beer with Real Food
Brewer’s Association (*Note: Julia was an educator and advocate of the BA when this episode was recorded.)