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Chemistry

Can science explain why some drinks and foods are a perfect match?

Some things just go together, like red wine and cheese, lager and a spicy curry – and Christmas and mulled wine, says Sam Wong

By Sam Wong

13 December 2023

GTG9F9 Hot mulled wine and book in woman hands. Relaxing in front of burning fire in the cold winter day.

Valentyn Volkov/Alamy

WE ALL know red wine goes with beef, white wine goes with fish and lager is the ideal foil for a spicy curry. But can science explain why some drinks are a perfect match for certain foods?

One hypothesis for explaining flavour matches is that foods go together well if they share many aroma compounds (see “How to use ‘flavour bridging’ to cook a bizarre but tasty holiday meal“). But this theory has its critics, and in any case, different rules are likely to apply to food and drink pairings, when the two partners aren’t usually in the…

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