Read back to this post for more information about the topic at hand.
So, while I was sitting jobless at home one day, I decided to try and find out what is it that makes food combos tick. Weird food combos, I might add. I had once seen this programme on Discovery where they take some un-imaginable combos and subject them to an odour-chromatography test and show that different foods have some different peaks and the relation between two peaks show how well those two food items go together. But when chefs prepares dishes, they dont run them through a chromatograph to decide if they taste good or not, right? Its just instinct and taste buds. Firstly instinct and then the taste buds to verify their instincts. So how does the instincts work? I decided that it was finally time that I answer this question and did some scientific(?) research on it. Here goes the rest of the story.
Firstly, I took the example of some of the combos that I like.
1) Curd Rice + Jam
2) Kesari Bath + Chutney
3) Milk Rice + Gems (M&Ms)
I analyzed and found a common trait. Then, I had to consider some dishes that are standard on the menu and apply the logic to them too and found that they do satisfy them in most of the cases. Eg:
4) Samosa + Ketchup
5) Idly + Chutney
6) Vada + Sambhar
7) Rice + Rasam/Sambhar/Curd etc etc
So, how did I go about the comparision. One common thing that I noticed was that each item in the combo had a different consistency. This worked in many cases but failed in the others. Then I looked at the composition, whether it was a solid or a liquid or a paste and so on, but there was no clear way to identify a relation. Then I hit upon a new way to look at the item. I call it ‘Flowability’. The unit of Flowability is Flo.
Definition: Flowability is the property where a food item will flow down a plate if a small amount is placed on the top of it and the plate is tilted down to induce flow. The quicker the food item starts flowing and the faster it flows downs is the measure of flowability. Liquids have higher flowability and solids have lower flowability. Flowability is a unique property and is distinctly differenty from rollability whereby a food item just rolls down the plate and is more dependent on its shape and weight than anything else. eg: potato.
So, lets look at the items in question and analyse them thoroughly. Item with differing flowability are a good combo and item with similar flowability are not so nice. So, I presume, the more the difference in the flowability values, the better the combo will taste.
1) Curd Rice + Jam. Curd rice has high Flowability (Provided it is liquidy i.e lots of curd) and Jam has less Flowability. So its a good combo.
2) Kesari Bath + Chutney = Kesari Bath has low flowability, Chutney has high flowability. So its a good combo
3) Milk Rice + Gems = Again the same as Curd Rice + Jam.
4) Samosa + Ketchup = Samosa has low flo, Ketchup has high flo. Sooper combo.
5) Idly/Vada/Dosa + Chutney/Sambhar = Sooper dooper combo, for reasons of differing flo again.
You can calculate the rest yourselves and decide which is better.
Now lets look at exceptions and some further analysis.
1) Firstly, lets look at skthewimp who doesnt like Curd Rice and Jam. Why? Most probably, the curd rice was too thick so there was no/less Flowability difference.
2) Kesari Bath + Ketchup. Horrid combo. Might be that too much flo ratio is bad for the combo, but then Samosa + Kethcup has one of the highest differences. Actually, I have never tried this combo, I think I have to give it a shot to verify my theory.
Applying my logic again, I came up with some more practised combos.
1) Soup + Papad
2) Payasam + Vada
3) Tea/Coffee + Biscuit
4) Biscuit + Jam/Cream
Bottom Line: If there is a difference in the flowability between two food items then in all probability those two items will go well together. (Provided all tests are done withing the laws governing physics and Einstein’s theory of Relativity) As always, there are exceptions to every rule and certain peoples taste buds. 
–
kuku
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Tagged: combos, flowability, food, theory
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4 Comments
Ummm.. good luck with everything, man.
And this year’s Nobel prize for Physics goes to….
How about a research paper on the taste difference/ratios?
few additional points for consideration
What abt adding the attribute “type/variety” to the flowability theory…
Say curd rice and chutney (chilly chutney) will result in a much better combination ….once again the tast buds comes into picture ofcourse – bcos not every ppl like the sweet+sweet combo …some imight like the sweet+spicy combo….
Mohan (D)
Your awarded with a scholarship
probably you should have catagorized the food as sweet-Sour-Hot-Spicy-Neutral(Eg.Rice, Noodles..)
Here is one such research
1. Hot&Spicy Sambar goes along Neutral Rice.
2. HOT & not-so-spicy samosa goes along Cold & not-so-spicy Ketchup. (I don’t thing anybody like HOT Ketchup)
3. Hot & Sweet Kesaribath with Hot & spicy Kharanath.
Rest apply logic..
Umashankar