There are many different ways of pairing ingredients, dishes and drinks. Many combinations have a long history of success, born as they are from a shared landscape – ‘what grows together, goes together’ is a sensible and oft-repeated guide.

The key tastes – salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami – play an important role in balancing dishes and meals. Considerations of texture are important, for connoting freshness and variety. Appearance too, greatly influences our enjoyment of a meal.

Yet as much as 80% of flavour in food is derived from smell, from the many chemical aroma compounds that enable us to easily distinguish one food from another. Humans can distinguish up to 10,000 of these volatile compounds, breathed in through the nose and mouth. When foods share important aromas, they are more likely to match in a recipe. This is regardless of culture, history or availability – when there are aroma compounds in common, there are interesting pairings to be made.

Our guide to flavour matching tomatoes takes all these factors into account and offers advice about how to pair ingredients, flavours and aromas – and what drinks to serve.

Flavour in tomatoes is dependent on several factors – the balance of sugars and acids are important, but those volatile flavour compounds are also key. Tomatoes are said to contain over 400 of these aromas, although the number actually detectable by the human olfactory system is likely to be considerably less. Although shoppers in the UK gravitate towards sweeter tomatoes, when those aromatic compounds are found in abundance, the sugar levels become less important for enjoyment of a great tomato.

When matching tomato flavours consider both the type of tomato and how it is prepared. As cherry tomatoes are smaller, the flavour and sweetness are concentrated. Piccolo cherry tomatoes are one of the smallest and the most flavourful cherry tomatoes available – tasting great even out of season – so are usually the best bet when buying from a supermarket. Other types of tomato may be more acid – and will require different treatment as a result.

One of the most important and successful pairings for tomatoes, both cherry and classic, is basil. This is a match that comes as second nature to anyone who has enjoyed warm, ripe tomatoes and spicy, fresh basil together – they are meant to be. If you want to stray a little further than a simple salad, consider this Cherry tomato gazpacho with basil oil or this Tomato and basil press with aubergine relish and mascarpone.

Fresh tomato flavour, as showcased in the Cherry tomato gazpacho, is excellent paired with a dry white or rosé. Rosé in particular, is a great match for fresh tomato. Wheat beers too, are an excellent option here – crisp and citrussy, they are excellent with the juicy tomato and aromatic herbs. When other flavours are heavily present, such as with the Tomato and basil press (containing meaty flavours from the aubergine and creamy dairy from the mascarpone), a light red can work too – consider pairing the country of origin too and choosing an Italian bottle for this recipe. If you’re set on white, some dry bubbles will cut through the richness of the cream and stand up to the acidity of the tomatoes.