Toasted sugar with hint of sweetness, rum can be enjoyed when eating both savory and sweet flavors. This drink is perfect with almost everything, although there are specific dishes that accentuate its flavor even more.
Rum is an excellent liquor that can be served as drink and cocktail, or used in cooking and baking recipes. The versatility of this sugarcane distillate gives room for dishes and mixtures ranging from starters to main dishes and desserts.
What to eat with rum? Rum can be paired with snacks, fruit, cheese, and fruit juices.
Whether it is served as drink and appetizer or in mixed drink, rum goes well with bananas, butter, Coca-Cola, coconut, ginger, grenadine, lemon, lime, mint, orange, raisins, spices, and brown sugar.
When it comes to food, rum tastes wonderfully with cheddar, aged gouda, green salad, ceviche, steak, chocolate, and toasted coconut cake.
However, from light to dark, there are different types of rum that have various sweetness levels that ultimately affect the food pairing.
- steak + aged rum
- club soda + dark or spiced rum
- cheese + silver or black rum
- tonic water + dark rum
- ceviche + white rum
- pineapple juice + white or dark rum
- seltzer + spiced rum
- ginger beer + white or dark rum
Rum is a kind of alcohol distilled from sugar cane, however the standard of the country of origin is not as same as bourbon or whiskey restricted. Therefore, rum has become the most versatile spirits in the world.
Depending on the material and technique, the taste of the rum can range from sweet and floral to dark and smokey. In this article, we answer the frequently asked questions about what to serve with rum.
What foods go with rum?
From steak to ceviche, flavors from savory to sour are able to pair with sweet and smoky rum. Other than converting into a mixed drinks, here are foods and ingredients that pair well with rum:
- Meat: beef, seafood
- Vegetables: pumpkin
- Cheese: brie, goat, blue
- Dairy: butter, cream, ice cream
- Nuts: chestnut, almonds, cashews, walnuts
- Confectionary: butterscotch, chocolate
- Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, star anise
- Herbs: mint
- Condiments: grenadine, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla
- Beverage: Coca-Cola
- Liqueur: maraschino, vermouth
What fruit goes with rum?
Fruits and rum are an excellent combo, especially for mixed drinks and cocktails. Additionally, there are healthy snack pairing to complement the natural sweetness of rum.
Some excellent fruits to pair with rum include:
- Stone fruits: apples
- Tropical fruits: passion fruit, pineapple, bananas, coconut
- Citrus fruit: grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange
- Dried fruits: raisins, cherries
What snacks go good with rum?
There are fun snacks to pair with aged rum. These are easy to prepare and serve with rum for appetizer or party starter.
Snack ideas to pair with rum include:
- Popcorn with caramel sauce
- Sweet and spices mini pretzels
- Trail mix with tropical dried fruit and nuts
- Charcuterie board with cheese and cured meats
- Dark chocolate bars
- Brownies
What flavor goes well with rum?
Spices such as cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg play a vital role in improving the complexity of rum. Essences such as vanilla, raspberry, coconut, and banana can also be used to flavor rum.
For spiced rums, ginger and garlic cloves will have the greatest impact. Add peppercorns, lime, and lemon slices to give subtle hints to the cocktail drink.
Here are classic flavors that goes well with rum:
- rum + apples + butter + nuts + vanilla
- rum + apples + carrot juice + spices
- rum + apples + cinnamon + pumpkin
- rum + coconut water + tropical fruits
- rum + lime + banana + sugar
- rum + lime + mint + sugar
- rum + lime + pineapple + sugar
Eat with Rum: Conclusion
The key to pairing rum with any fruit or dish is paying attention to the cocktails it’s making rather than the base. With the concession of the dark sipping rum packed with chocolate and sweetness, that’s generally how rums are paired.
Furthermore, remember that drinks made from rum, such as pina colada and rum punch, can also handle a little spice.
Depending on the age and color of the rum, the pairing may vary. Aged and darker rums tend to pair well with rich and bold flavored meat and tonic water, where as light rum goes with refreshing ginger beer and ceviche.
From tropical fruit to citrus, rum naturally blends well with dairy, fruits, liquor, spices, herbs, and nuts. Simply enjoy a cup of rum with fun snacks such as caramel popcorn, spiced pretzels, trail mix, charcuterie board, cheese, and chocolate.
That being said, it’s time to start serving rum with the foods, fruits, and snacks. Follow the recommendations in this guide to find out which pairings work best for you!