Perhaps, you invited friends and family over for dinner or a Saturday lunch. However, you suddenly find yourself at a loss regarding your main and side dishes. These two tend to balance each other to enhance the perfect eating experience in the culinary world. Side dishes are important to every meal, and they are not all sweet treats. It possibly explains why 80% of respondents would prefer only side dishes from food retailers if they have the chance. These pointers can help you get it right when selecting a side dish.
- Consider balancing richness and weight of both dishes
Many people have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of having too much to eat. This usually happens late at night when your stomach is working to digest all the rich and heavy meals you had. Unfortunately, this also happens when your choice of side and main dishes aren’t balanced. This is why the menu constitutes possible side dishes that can accompany heavy main dishes in many high-profile restaurants.
Understanding the fundamental elements of side dishes against the main meal increases the chances of going easy on your stomach. Better yet, your guests will be happy to experience firsthand the thought that went into balancing out those dishes. Indeed, some people can handle a side dish and main meal of the same richness and weight. However, for the majority, this can be uncomfortable. It is why it is better to be on the safer side.
- Balance the flavors and taste
Flavor and taste are two of the three main elements the culinary world never ignores. The third is presentation, but for purposes of this point, the focus is on flavor and taste. A side dish can be sweet, savory, spicy, or tangy, but that will depend on what’s on the menu for the main meal. For instance, if you had spicy Hungarian stuffed cabbage rolls with garlic butter pasta shells, you may want to balance the flavor and taste with a sweet side dish. A perfect complementing side would be a sweet potato casserole.
The sharp contrast in taste and flavor contributes to a positive mealtime experience you wouldn’t forget. On the other hand, if the main dish was sweet, choosing a tangy side dish may be ideal for the moment. Remember that balanced flavors and taste are not intended for just your palate. Instead, your digestive system needs the contrast to handle the breakdown of food.
- Contrast the textures
In ideal conditions, eating should be fun and positive. It is not entirely about chomping down food and feeling full immediately after. Eating, when done right, can be an exhilarating experience. This is why it helps to contrast textures in your dishes. Usually, main dishes require a lot of chewing, while the side meal is expected to go down easy. It could be vice versa. The point here is, contrasting food textures allow you to rest your jaws a bit. The last thing you want to feel after a good meal is a throbbing sensation in your jaws and temple areas. So, if you had roasted lamb with crunchy celery and corn, a suitable side dish might be mashed potatoes with a bit of cream.
Indeed, it takes some creativity and expertise to match side dishes with main meals. However, you can automatically enhance the eating experience when you get it right.
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