Anchovy + Mace
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 863 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs.
Do anchovy and mace go together?
Yes, in practice. 863 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 2 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 28% of every ingredient pair we score.
What they have in common
They overlap on 2 flavor molecules: 6% of mace's 34. So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What each one brings
anchovy
The tartness. Sour notes make up 28% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 3% for mace. It carries 67 molecules mace doesn't have.
mace
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 31% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 1% for anchovy. It carries 32 molecules anchovy doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Nutmeg: the best fit for both, top 22% of pairs with anchovy, top 4% with mace.
- Parsley: top 13% of pairs with anchovy, top 15% with mace.
- Clove: top 27% of pairs with anchovy, top 6% with mace.
- Thyme: top 15% of pairs with anchovy, top 14% with mace.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with anchovy and mace
Mostly mains: 15 of the 19 recipes with a course label are mains.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: anchovy has 67 molecules mace doesn't, and mace has 32 that anchovy doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 2 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 67 only in anchovy and the 32 only in mace.
Anchovy and mace questions
Do anchovy and mace go together?
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 863 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs.
What do anchovy and mace have in common?
They overlap on 2 flavor molecules: 6% of mace's 34. So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What goes with anchovy and mace?
Nutmeg is the best third ingredient: top 22% of pairs with anchovy and top 4% with mace. Parsley and clove also fit both.
What can you make with anchovy and mace?
Mostly mains: 15 of the 19 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include Anchovy Catchup, Lobster Salad, Brown Gravy, Camp Vinegar.
Can I use mace instead of anchovy?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: anchovy has 67 molecules mace doesn't, and mace has 32 that anchovy doesn't. Treat them as partners, not stand-ins. This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
Compare other ingredients
Ranks compare this pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. Molecule counts are what the studies and databases we aggregate have reported for each ingredient: a measure of coverage, not a full census. How we score pairs
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Anchovy vs Mace. https://compkitchen.com/compare/anchovy-vs-mace. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_anchovy_vs_mace_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Anchovy vs Mace},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/anchovy-vs-mace},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.