Soft

We know the experience of eating something soft from countless combinations of crispy and soft - for example crispy tartlets with soft filling, crispy crisps or vegetable sticks with soft and creamy dip, soft soup with crispy croutons, crispy cakes with soft filling (for example medallions or macarons). Crispy bread rolls with butter or a soft cheese are also examples of the combination of soft and crunchy, as is skyr or yoghurt with crunchy granola.

Soft is also what complements and lifts a crisp cake such as a medal with soft cream or macarons with cream - or a filled chocolate with a crunchy surface and soft filling.

The chewing experience - and thus the eating experience - becomes much more varied and exciting when the food contains both soft and crunchy.

How can we add something soft?

The soft texture is a welcome addition to, for example, a crisp, crunchy salad. It's a good idea to add something soft in the form of fruit - either fresh, ripe fruit or fruit that has been baked, grilled or fried to bring out the flavour and sweetness. Berries, too, often have both a soft and juicy texture and are suitable as a soft element, while also bringing something juicy into play.

Cheese is another way to go. Here, soft cheeses such as gorgonzola, ricotta, cream cheese, fresh goat cheese, etc. can add something soft to food, which is well known in salads, bruschetta and sandwiches.

Similarly, cooked pulses such as beans and chickpeas give a soft texture to stews, soups or salads.

Toppings such as remoulade also provide a soft yet creamy counterpoint to, say, a crispy fish fillet, just as avocado in a sandwich or salad provides something soft if sliced, but something juicier is added if the avocado is mashed with a little lemon juice and salt.

In the greener department, for example, prepared vegetables can be used as an ingredient in a crisp salad - a good example is baked sweet potatoes or pumpkin, which work wonderfully in a crisp cabbage salad and make the salad much more exciting and varied to eat than if it contained only cabbage and other crisp elements.

Fresh, ripe fruit or soft, dried fruits such as apricots or raisins are suitable as a topping on hot dishes - for example curries or as an ingredient in all kinds of salads. As part of a healthy snack, dried fruit is also great - for example, combined with vegetable sticks and almonds or nuts.