The Ultimate Fruit Flavor Pairing Chart

Fruits are one of the biggest and most important food categories you can explore. They can be used in thousands of ways to create delicious dishes and drinks.

However, if you don’t know how to use them and how to combine them with other foods, flavors and textures, all that potential is lost.

Matching ingredients is what creates great food, and fruits are no exception. But the only way to do that is by constantly experimenting with new flavors and pushing the limits.

While there’s no set answer to what makes a good fruit pairing, there are some helpful guidelines.

So how does fruit pair with other flavors?  The best starting point for fruit pairing is to combine ingredients with similar flavor profiles. For example, most citrus fruits complement each other; the same goes for melons, berries, stone fruits, etc. 

As for herbs and spices, mint and autumn spices (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and ginger) also make great and easy pairings.

In today’s article, we’ll first look at some guidelines you can follow to create your own flavor pairings. Next, we’ll look at fantastic fruit flavor pairings, including how to create tasty pairings for cocktails and cheese boards.

How to pair flavors

Pairing flavors is not as easy as it seems. Sure, finding great and novel pairings is all about experimenting, but don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some not-so-great ones.

With that being said, there are some guidelines you can follow to help you get started. Of course, we’ve put together a fantastic comprehensive table to help guide you. Here are some basic matchmaking rules.

1. Similar flavor profiles work well together

When pairing fruits with other flavors, look for ingredients with similar flavor profiles and cheeses.

For example, in the case of a strawberry, that would be floral and fruity notes, definite sweetness, a slight tartness, and a subtle leafiness (almost earthy but not as prominent).

That’s why strawberries go so well with most ingredients, because virtually any ingredient has one or more of these characteristics.

2. Opposites attract… but only sometimes

Have you ever wondered why chips and shakes go so well together? Or salted chocolate and chili caramel, or even black pepper and vanilla ice cream?

It’s because the opposing flavors enhance each other and at the same time balance each other out.

However, keep in mind that not all opposites work well. For example, you wouldn’t pair strawberry with garlic: it doesn’t work in most cases.

3. Be wary of bitter tastes

Especially when it comes to combining ingredients with fruit, bitter flavors often overwhelm the senses.

By this we don’t mean acidic ingredients like lemon or lime, but ingredients like Brussels sprouts or sprouts.

Fruit pairing for cheese and meat boards

The cheese and sausage boards are perfect examples of the above rules. The reason why fruits always accompany these tables is that opposite flavors attract.

The savory flavors of the cured meats and cheeses combine wonderfully with the sweet fruits.

When pairing them, it’s important to keep in mind that each brand and even each batch of, say, camembert or pancetta, have differences in their flavor profiles.

So while brand A goes great with strawberries, brand B might pair better with raspberries.

Again, there are some rules you can follow:

• Combine salty and sweet ingredients
• Do not choose two ingredients with intense flavor (for example, lemons, salami and cheese do not go well together)
• With a few exceptions, avoid fruits with strong acid notes (such as exotic fruits and citrus)
• If you have very spicy cheeses, choose more simple fruits, such as grapes or strawberries. Don’t overcomplicate the pairings, unless you’re intentionally looking for new ones.

The best fruits that pair well with virtually any cheese or cured meat are sweet ones with slight tart and earthy notes. These include most berries, grapes, figs, melons, and most stone fruits.

Here are some common cheeses and fruits that go well with them.

Fruit pairings for cocktails and other alcoholic beverages

Cocktails and other alcoholic beverages have become exceptionally popular in recent years. Mixologists are creating new and very interesting flavor combinations.

You can take a look at our ultimate chart in this article to see which fruits, herbs, and spices go together well.

When it comes to pairing fruit with alcohol, there are a few guidelines you can follow. Now, keep in mind that all these alcohols are not flavored, so for example, if we have gin on our list, it is not flavored at all: it is a normal gin.

Flavored alcohols obviously have different flavors that will have different pairings. Most companies list those flavors and it’s easy to pair fruits with them using our chart.

Alcohols like champagne, gin, tequila, and vodka are very easy to mix. Gin, in particular, has a very versatile and flexible flavor profile, pairing easily with virtually any fruit, herb, and spice.

Use our fruit pairing chart to experiment with new combinations.

The Ultimate Fruit Pairing Table

Below you will find our definitive guide to fruit pairing. It’s very easy to follow and will help you create amazing new flavor combinations.

Remember that creating new flavor profiles requires experimentation, so don’t be afraid to push the limits.

The best fruit infused water combinations

Before you go, one topic our tables haven’t touched on is fruit-infused water, which makes for a refreshing, light, and fruity summer drink.

You can always go for the usual lemon, lime, orange or cucumber flavored waters, but there are some more unique and satisfying combinations.