Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Helles

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers Helles's optimal flavour pairings.

Helles immediately conjure the embrace of malt and the bracing kiss of wheat, yet its initial sweetness is only the opening note. Beneath lies a tapestry of delicate hop, hints of grass, and the golden sweetness of honey, contributing remarkable depth. The key to finding the perfect pairing for Helles is understanding how these notes harmonise.

To illuminate these harmonies, we embarked on an ambitious journey, analysing thousands of ingredients. Each was meticulously deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, allowing us to pinpoint precisely which notes complement in both classic and unexpected ways. Our analysis reveals, for example, how herbes de Provence's rosmarinic tones awaken Helles, and how extra virgin olive oil's oily notes create a surprising synergy with its toasted aroma.

An ingredient's flavour stems from its core characteristics, such as floral, maillard, or herbal, combined with layers of subtle flavour notes (outer bars). For a balanced dish, pair ingredients with a variety of core flavours, and choose complementary aroma notes for harmony.

Flavour Pairing Method

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 Malty Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of malt is strongly associated with the flavour of oleic acid. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a oleic flavour, such as extra virgin olive oil, when pairing with the malty accents of Helles.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing Helles with extra virgin olive oil.

Harmonious Flavours Of Helles

Just as our ingredient analysis revealed that malt and rooty flavour notes are often combined, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour accents present in Helles. For instance, the wheaty notes of Helles are strongly associated with rosemary and sage-like notes.

The accents associated with the various aroma accents of Helles can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of herbes de Provence offers many of the accents complementary to Helles, including rosemary and thyme aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of herbes de Provence has many of the of the features that are complementary to Helles, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Helles With Herbes De Provence

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

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., Helles), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.