cigars and food!

beatnic

Had spicy shrimp and grits for dinner this evening. hmmmgood. Lots of black pepper. (Its' a southern thing). Well, about 15 - 20 minutes later I retired to my mancave to smoke a cigar. Grabbed a Cu-Avana Intenso from my c.com sampler pack and lit it. As my lips and the end of the cigar became damp, and the first funnels of smoke started passing my tongue, the spices when wild. It re-ignited the black pepper very intensely, almost a burning sensation on my lips and tongue tip. It was clearly and unmistakably the flavor of the black pepper from the meal, mixing with the cigar smoke. Got me thinking. How much does what we last consumed affect the taste (initial) of the cigar? We all know how well the cigar mixes well with black coffee and certain adult beverages. When several people light a cigar and describe it differently, did they all have the same last meal? Also,we've all had the experience of having the same cigar on 2 different occasions taste somewhat different. Could it be our last meal? It was clear to me that this meal affected this smoke. Just thinking aloud.

JCizzle

I noticed that yesterday when I had a cigar with coffee for the first time, it really brought out the sweet, creamy flavor of the cigar.

t_evan50

This is a good point. I firmly believe what someone likes in food will translate into cigar preference. I don't like really spicy or salty foods and I tend to lean toward the cigars with a earthier sweeter profile. Give me a nice steak and baked potato followed by a stick with tons of earthy semisweet smoke. Now im hungry...

xmacro

Steak always pairs well with a full-flavored cigar; I think I read it's because the fats left over in your mouth from the steak bind to the smoke, or something like that. At any rate, I've always enjoyed a nice cigar after a steak and potatoes dinner

kuzi16

most of the effect has to do with the pH of the food.

coffee is acidic, and cigars are alkaline.
i like to eat an orange sometimes an hour before i smoke in the summer for the same reason. .

the other thing i like to do before smoking a cigar is to drink a glass of milk because it will bring the mouth a bit closer to a neutral 7 on the pH scale.

beatnic

kuzi16:

most of the effect has to do with the pH of the food.

coffee is acidic, and cigars are alkaline.
i like to eat an orange sometimes an hour before i smoke in the summer for the same reason. .

the other thing i like to do before smoking a cigar is to drink a glass of milk because it will bring the mouth a bit closer to a neutral 7 on the pH scale.

Kuzi..I dub you the Alton Brown of cigars! A scientific explanation! Something I can relate to.