Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Chicharrón

Top flavour pairings and chicharrón recipes, revealed through the hidden methmatics of flavour.

Chicharrón instantly conjures the evocative embrace of thiamine and the kiss of glutamate, yet its initial umaminess is only the opening note. Beneath lies a sophisticated tapestry of delicate caramel, hints of toast, and the unctuous richness of animal fat that contribute remarkable depth. The gastronomic enchantment unfolds when we pair chicharrón with ingredients that let these nuances sing.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our findings reveal, for instance, how carrot's saccharine tones can lift chicharrón, or how oregano's rosmarinic notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the porky meatiness.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like carnal, maillard, and nectarous, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.

Unlocking Flavour Combinations

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Porcine Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of pork is strongly associated with the flavour of rosemary. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a rosemary flavour, such as oregano, when pairing with the porky aroma notes of chicharrón.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing chicharrón with oregano.

Harmonious Flavours Of Chicharrón

Just as our analysis revealed that pork and violic notes combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in chicharrón. E.g. the glutamic notes of chicharrón are often used with basil-like and green notes.

The notes associated with the various aromas of chicharrón can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of carrot offers many of the aroma notes complementary to chicharrón, including sugary and honey aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of carrot has many of the of the features that are complementary to chicharrón, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of carrot across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with chicharrón.

Recipes That Pair Chicharrón With Carrot

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of chicharrón, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of chicharrón, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma accents complementary to chicharrón.

What To Drink With Chicharrón

The rosemary notes in côtes du rhône make it a perfect pairing with chicharrón. Likewise, the violet flavours in crème de violette create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of chicharrón below.

Which Vegetables Go With Chicharrón?

Choose vegetables that cut through its meatiness or cut through its unctuous richness. Carrot and red pepper offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Bok choy add a gentle, oniony brightness, while green cabbage introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with chicharrón's toastiness. The addition of serrano pepper, with its subtle capsicum notes, can complement the toast beautifully, while cabbage lends a mild pepper aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Chicharrón), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.