In a world first, culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal has put sherry under the microscope to fin it contains flavor-enhancing properties – and has unveiled a brand new, scientific, but unconventional way of food and wine pairing, with some surprising results.
Heston, in conjunction with scientist ProfessorDon Mottram of Reading University, has discovered a group of compounds known as diketopiperazines (DKPs) in Sherry. These are particularly associated with the dry styles of Sherry, and it is thought they can actually accentuate the taste and flavour of certain ‘umami-rich’ foods such as meat, fish, cheese and shiitake mushrooms (umami is the fi fth tast- ing sense beyond sweet, sour, bitter, and salty).
