Good pairingrecommendationsmaybecrucialforthesuccessoffoodsandbeverages,bothintheretailandhospitalitysector.Food–beverage
pairings areoftenpresentedbyculinaryprofessionalssuchaschefsorsommeliers,howeverlittlefocushasbeengiventoconsumerperceptionof
such pairings.Themainobjectiveofthisstudywastoinvestigateconsumerperceptionofoverallperceptsoffood–beverage pairings.
Combinations ofsoupandcraftbeerwereusedasmodelpairings.Soupsweredevelopedbyachefaccordingtoanexperimentaldesignwiththe
basic tastesasfactors.Craftbeertypeswereselectedaccordingtosensoryprofile, popularityinthemarketandculinaryrecommendations.
Results fromtheconsumerstudydemonstratedsignificant effectsofbeertypeonliking.Relative-to-idealratingsforbalancedemonstratedthat
dominance ofeitherofthecomponentssignificantly reducedlikingandharmony,whiledominanceofsoupsignificantly reducedperceived
complexity. Resultsalsodemonstratedthatperceivedsensorycomplexitywashighlycorrelatedwithlikingofpairingswhenperceivedsensory
harmony alsowasratedashigh.Thisstudyintroducestheuseofa “just aboutbalanced” (JAB) scaleforratingtherelativebalanceofintensity
between twoproducts.Someofthechallengeswithcombiningculinarycreativitywithexperimentalproductdevelopmentarealsodiscussed.
& 2015 AZTI-Tecnalia.ProductionandhostingbyElsevierB.V.Allrightsreserved.