Have you ever tried pairing Pecan Tart and Amaro?
We are always searching for exciting flavors combinations, and if you are like us, you might like it too. Why do these two go together?
Pecan Tart and its American cousin hardly need an introduction. Amaro, on the other hand, is a quintessential Italian aperitif that is little known outside Europe.
Amaro Story
So what is Amaro? Amaro is a diverse category of liquors and bitters represented by many products that differ in the composition of the recipe, alcohol, and sugar content. What unites them is the prevalence of substances such as cinchona bark, artichoke leaves, and rhizomes of rhubarb, primarily responsible for recognizable bitter-type of aromas.
Like Italian wine, the choice is enormous, and producers can choose several different ways to produce Amaro and have a wide range of botanicals to create genuinely unique liquors and bitters.
When it comes to aroma, Amaro can range from very, very bitter to very aromatic. While the most common type of Amaro is bitter-sweet, it varies from dry to sweet and even syrupy. The alcohol content can be anywhere from 16% to 40%. It can acquire its botanical character in several ways, including natural essences or even chemical synthesis. Still, the best Amari producers, including some major ones, infuse real herbs into quality alcohol.
As you can see now, there are no two Amaro alike, and they are hardly interchangeable. That’s what makes it so exciting.
To summarize, there’s an Amaro with your name on it. You just need to find it.
Pairing Amaro and Pecan Tart
There are many variations of Pecan Tarts and Pies. Some add caramel, others salt, some make it with chocolate, others with apples. One thing stays the same: the taste is driven by pecan nuts and sugar. So there might be nuances and depth of flavor complemented by other ingredients. Still, we always know what we gonna taste in that first bite. We can always count on a nutty-sweet flavor and crunchy texture.
That’s precisely where the bitter-sweet Amaro can take it to the next level of flavor. It complements the sweetness of Pecan Tart, and yet its bitter note plays along with a light bitterness of baked pecan nut.
At the same time, Amaro’s acidity and astringency help balance the sweet richness of the dessert and refresh the palate, making you wish for another bite of the tart and another sip of the liquor.
Did we say Amaro is a digestive? Yes! Thanks to the infused herbs, Amaro can help you digest the food better. After all, we just had an after-dinner dessert, and our belly can use some help.
Would we love to hear about your Amaro adventures? Never had Amaro? What do you think about trying it now?
