Food Pairing in Gastronomy

Abstract

Food pairing is an interdisciplinary field that examines the sensory harmonies or contrasts that emerge when different foods and beverages are consumed together. In traditional cuisines, this approach relied on intuitive and cultural knowledge, whereas in modern gastronomy it is systematically addressed with contributions from scientific fields such as aroma chemistry, sensory analysis, and experience design. Current studies suggest that shared aroma compounds can enhance sensory harmony, while cultural differences play a decisive role in pairing approaches. Moreover, it is emphasized that successful food pairings depend not only on chemical similarities but also on factors such as texture, contextual elements, consumer experiences, and cultural memory. The fact that most studies in the literature focus separately on chemical or sensory dimensions highlights the lack of a comprehensive framework. This study is a review that aims to examine both the chemical and cultural dimensions of food pairings. Academic articles, gastronomy books, and molecular gastronomy research were used as sources. The study aims to provide a holistic perspective on food pairing in gastronomy by considering its physicochemical, sensory, cognitive, and cultural dimensions together

Keywords

• Food pairing
• shared aroma compounds
• sensory analysis
• cultural memory
• gastronomic experience

Gastronomide Gıda Eşleşmesi

Abstract

Gıda eşleşmesi, farklı yiyecek ve içeceklerin birlikte tüketildiğinde ortaya çıkan duyusal uyum veya karşıtlıkları inceleyen disiplinler arası bir alandır. Geleneksel mutfaklarda sezgisel ve kültürel bilgiye dayanan bu yaklaşım, modern gastronomide aroma kimyası, duyusal analiz ve deneyim tasarımı gibi bilimsel alanların katkısıyla sistematik olarak ele alınmaktadır. Güncel çalışmalar, ortak aroma bileşenlerinin duyusal uyumu artırabileceğini öne sürerken, kültürel farklılıkların eşleşme yaklaşımlarında belirleyici olduğunu göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, başarılı gıda eşleşmelerinin yalnızca kimyasal benzerliklere değil; doku, bağlamsal faktörler, tüketici deneyimleri ve kültürel bellek gibi unsurlara da bağlı olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Literatürdeki çalışmaların çoğunun kimyasal ya da duyusal boyutlara ayrı ayrı odaklanması, bütüncül bir çerçevenin eksikliğine işaret etmektedir. Bu çalışma, gıda eşleşmelerinin hem kimyasal hem de kültürel boyutlarını incelemeyi amaçlayan bir derlemedir. Akademik makaleler, gastronomi kitapları, moleküler gastronomi araştırmaları kaynak alınmıştır. Bu çalışmayla, gastronomide gıda eşleşmesini fizikokimyasal, duyusal, bilişsel ve kültürel boyutlarıyla birlikte ele alan bütüncül bir bakış açısı kazandırmak amaçlanmaktadır.

Keywords

• Gıda eşleşmesi
• ortak aroma bileşenleri
• duyusal analiz
• kültürel bellek
• gastronomik deneyim

Supporting Institution

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Ethical Statement

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Thanks

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