Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Herring

Exquisite herring flavour pairings and recipes, revealed through data science.

Herring immediately conjures the evocative embrace of iodine and the kiss of sardine, yet its initial umaminess is only the overtone. Beneath lies a sophisticated tapestry of delicate seaweed, whispers of glutamate, and the salty character of brine that contribute remarkable depth. And the epicurean alchemy begins when we seek out partners that allow these notes to truly sing, to harmonise in unexpected and delightful ways.

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 flat-leaf parsley's leafy tones can carry herring, or how Thai basil's linalool notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the pungent fishiness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. acidic, carnal, and herbal) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Art of Flavour Pairing

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Fishy Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of sardine is strongly associated with the flavour of basil. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a basil-like flavour, such as Thai basil, when pairing with the fishy aroma notes of herring.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing herring with Thai basil.

Harmonious Flavours Of Herring

Just as our analysis shows that sardine and basil-like flavours often complement each other, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in herring. For instance, the briney flavours of herring are strongly associated with green and starchy accents.

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

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of flat-leaf parsley offers many of the notes complementary to herring, including leafy and grassy aroma notes. Because the flavour profile of flat-leaf parsley has many of the of the features that are complementary to herring, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of flat-leaf parsley across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with herring.

Recipes That Pair Herring With Flat-leaf Parsley

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

What To Drink With Herring

The grassy notes in sauvignon blanc (bordeaux) make it a perfect pairing with herring. Likewise, the grassy flavours in verd albera create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of herring below.

Which Vegetables Go With Herring?

Choose vegetables that lift its salinity or cut through its marine aroma. Pea shoots and pea offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Romaine lettuce add a gentle, oniony brightness, while mixed greens introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with herring's fishiness. The addition of carrot, with its subtle basilicum notes, can complement the sardine beautifully, while spinach lends a fresh 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., Herring), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.