Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Syrah

Discover the best flavour pairings for Syrah based on data analysis of thousands of recipes. Find perfect ingredient matches & delicious recipes.

Syrah conjures the embrace of black pepper and the kiss of smoke, woven with delicate hints of tannin, char, and liquorice, contributing remarkable depth. And the gastronomic enchantment begins when we seek out partners that allow these notes to truly sing.

To chart these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, each deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, pinpointing the notes that best complement this ingredient’s profile. Our analysis reveals, for example, how duck's ferrous tones ground Syrah, and how bone marrow's adipose notes create a surprising synergy with its sharp aroma.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like spice, herbal, and woody, 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.

The Secret Language of Flavour

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 Peppercorn Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of black pepper is strongly associated with the flavour of animal fat. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a fatty flavour, such as bone marrow, when pairing with the peppery aroma accents of Syrah.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing Syrah with bone marrow.

Harmonious Flavours Of Syrah

Just as our analysis revealed that black pepper and fatty flavour accents harmonise well, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in Syrah. For instance, the tannic notes of Syrah are strongly associated with mouldy and burnt notes.

The aroma accents complementary to the various notes of Syrah can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of duck offers many of the accents complementary to Syrah, including ferrous and fatty accents. Because the flavour profile of duck has many of the of the features that are complementary to Syrah, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Syrah With Duck

Linked Flavour Notes

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

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of Syrah, 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 Syrah.

Which Cheese Go With Syrah?

Choose cheese that infuse with its woodiness or infuse with its dry sensation. Stilton offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Brie add a gentle, oniony brightness, while gruyère introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace cheese that harmonise with Syrah's sharpness. The addition of comté, with its subtle gallinaceous notes, can complement the black pepper beautifully. Burrata bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while buffalo mozzarella lends a delicate meatiness.

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