Cherry

About

Cherries, like their relative the apple, come in sweet and sour forms with some overlap between. They share apple's fresh, green fruitiness, and their stones carry a strong almond scent, more pronounced than in apple seeds, so much so that the bitter-almond compound benzaldehyde is used to make synthetic cherry flavoring. That almond note comes through most clearly when cherries are cooked with the stones in. Cherries also have floral and spicy notes, plus a tannic quality more noticeable when dried. They pair especially well with vanilla and cinnamon, and are used to make cherry liqueurs; kirsch and maraschino are clear cherry-flavored spirits well suited to fruit salads or flambéed fruit.

Pairs well with cherry

• WoAlmondCherry stones and bitter almonds both contain compounds that produce benzaldehyde, the flavor molecule responsible for almond and cherry…
• SpCinnamonCinnamon flavors cold Hungarian sour cherry soup, in which pitted cherries are simmered with wine, a cinnamon stick, sugar, and lemon,…
• RoChocolateCherry's fruity, slightly nutty flavor pairs naturally with chocolate, as in Black Forest gâteau and cherry ice creams.
• CrCoconutCoconut and cherry share fruity, nutty notes as related drupe fruits, and both pair well with chocolate, as in candy bars combining…
• FfVanillaVanilla's anise-like quality, especially in Tahitian vanilla, complements cherry, as in Cherries Jubilee - cherries cooked in a sugar…
• MeLambSour cherries (morello or Montmorency) are sharper and more flavorful than sweet cherries, making them better suited to cooking, and they…
• RoCoffeeCherry pie and coffee is a classic American diner pairing, familiar from countless roadside cafés and, notably, the Double R Diner in…
• ChGoat CheeseSweet cherries and young, fresh, grassy goat cheese are a natural summer pairing, simple enough to pack for a picnic alongside bread - the…
• CrBananaKirsch, a clear spirit distilled from stone-in cherries, carries a bitter-almond note reflecting cherries' close botanical relation to…
• WoHazelnutDried sour cherries have a tangy sweetness with hints of tobacco and tannic tea, which pairs well with hazelnut's milky sweetness - a good…
• BrSmoked FishHot-smoked sea trout pairs well with a tart morello cherry compote (fresh cherries briefly simmered with brown sugar), served warm…
• CrPeachCherries and peaches, along with other stone fruits, commonly appear together in simple fruit spreads, as depicted in still-life-style…