Sweet and Sour - The Chat

Let's talk complements...

Sweet and Sour

When it comes to creating a balanced dish or recipe, the first ingredients I usually seek are something sweet or something sour. The balance between sweet and sour tastes really seems to make the food experience extra delightful and worth noting in your recipe book. Dishes I have tried with just sweet blends tend to satisfy my dessert and morning treat cravings. As far as my experience with sour blends added to dishes with meats or veggies, it definitely seems to add that wonderful zesty taste. Although most sweet tasting recipes are comprised of added sugars, surprisingly there are some unique, naturally sweet veggies that can add a sweet bonus to almost any dish. Fruits make up most sweet and sour tastings in the food group and mixed sour ingredients tend to change the natural taste of many bland foods. Typically, dishes accompanied with a sweet OR sour ingredient are not typically mixed with both a sweet AND sour ingredient. However, many of the best dishes I have tried were created by wonderful, tasty accidents with a resulting finished balance of sweet and sour flavors. 

You can typically look forward to satisfying your sweet tooth with traditional desserts, candies, and pastries. However,  I'm curious to know if there are any naturally sweet tasting foods besides most fruits that will also satisfy sweet cravings. The following discovery lists some additions to mix in your next recipe: 

Sweet Additions

1. Carrot

2. Berry

3. Coconut

4. Sweet Potatoe

Expect an awakening of your taste buds after adding sours to any dish or recipe. Many fruits are known to pack a zest that compliments lots of popular dishes. Out of curiosity, I'm wondering what particular zesty ingredients I can add to a few traditional meals. The following discovery lists some additions to liven a recipe or two:

Sour Additions

1. Lemon

2. Vinegar

3. Lime

4. Chard