Is there some science behind the ways some flavours seem to compliment each other when it comes to cooking?
I know someone like Heston Blumenthal has gone into this in great depth but ,as for as I know he proceeds according to a "hit and miss" , or "suck it and see" methodology.
I would be curious to know whether it is possible to feed a flavour into a sensory apparatus connected to software which could gives a likelihood of the flavour that had been input being "compatible" or interesting when combined with a second flavour (or combination of flavours).
I think it is fairly obvious that extremely strong flavours would normally be set against bland flavours but I think there is far more to it than that (I am guessing "balance" is very important ) and I wonder if any proper scientific studies have been done along those lines.