Cider + Lime
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 97 recipes, and they share 22 flavor molecules: the top 24% of all ingredient pairs.
Do cider and lime go together?
Yes. 97 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 22 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 24% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
They overlap on 22 flavor molecules: 20% of cider's 108. Among the shared key aromas are linalool (floral, citrus) and isobutyraldehyde (malty, green). Most of what they share is background chemistry many foods carry, so the overlap does little for the smell.
What each one brings
cider
The fruit. Fruity notes make up 55% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 10% for lime. It carries 86 molecules lime doesn't have.
lime
The herbal side. Herbal notes make up 15% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 1% for cider. It carries 277 molecules cider doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Coriander: the best fit for both, top 21% of pairs with cider, top 1% with lime.
- Mango: top 14% of pairs with cider, top 1% with lime.
- Avocado: top 27% of pairs with cider, top 1% with lime.
- Thyme: top 15% of pairs with cider, top 1% with lime.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with cider and lime
Mostly mains: 11 of the 18 recipes with a course label are mains.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: cider has 86 molecules lime doesn't, and lime has 277 that cider 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 22 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 86 only in cider and the 277 only in lime.
Cider and lime questions
Do cider and lime go together?
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 97 recipes, and they share 22 flavor molecules: the top 24% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do cider and lime taste good together?
They overlap on 22 flavor molecules: 20% of cider's 108. Among the shared key aromas are linalool (floral, citrus) and isobutyraldehyde (malty, green). Most of what they share is background chemistry many foods carry, so the overlap does little for the smell.
What goes with cider and lime?
Coriander is the best third ingredient: top 21% of pairs with cider and top 1% with lime. Mango and avocado also fit both.
What can you make with cider and lime?
Mostly mains: 11 of the 18 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, Lime-sauced chicken, Avocado Pesto, Aztec Marinade.
Can I use lime instead of cider?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: cider has 86 molecules lime doesn't, and lime has 277 that cider 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: Cider vs Lime. https://compkitchen.com/compare/cider-vs-lime. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_cider_vs_lime_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Cider vs Lime},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/cider-vs-lime},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.