What foods go well with what foods? Have you ever pondered that question?
 
The question has been on the mind of man since the dawn of human history, and we have been experimenting with tasty food parings ever since.
 
Olive oil based pesto is considered by some, to one be one of the oldest "oil" based sauces and is an example of food pairing combinations which date back to the BCE eara.
 
The ancient Romans ate a cheese spread called moretum which is believed to have been made with basil. The herb likely first came from North Africa. The human body needs a wide variety of all kinds of different foods in order to be healthy. Vegetables, fruit, beans, grains, dairy products, meat, fish, poultry and wine can be combined in wondorous ways the meet the needs of the humand body.
 
The human race has survived and thrived for centuries before the science of nutrition was developed and before amino acids and vitamins were discovered. Many the the traditional combinations of foods, designed to bring out the best in each other, have subsequently been found to good nutrition as well. The ancient people of the Mediterranean didn't know when they put basil and tomatoes together that they complemented each other chemically, they just knew they tasted good!
 
Smoked salmon and mango. Oysters and chocolate. These combinations seem unusual at first, but are very pleasing for the palate. Ingredients can be perfectly combined if their main flavours correspond. That is the recipe for great foodpairing. Add to this the creativity of the cook and the result will be a surprising and satisfying experience.
 
Let the expriments continue, as they have for centuries.