Licorice + Lemon
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 14 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 40% of all ingredient pairs.
Do licorice and lemon go together?
Yes, in practice. 14 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 14 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 40% of every ingredient pair we score.
What they have in common
They overlap on 14 flavor molecules: 40% of licorice's 35. Among the shared key aromas are 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy) and alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral). So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What each one brings
licorice
The caramel side. Caramel notes make up 13% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 1% for lemon. It carries 21 molecules lemon doesn't have.
lemon
The fresh, green side. Green notes make up 11% of its labelled aroma molecules, against 3% for licorice. It carries 344 molecules licorice doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Fennel: the best fit for both, top 31% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with lemon.
- Orange: top 33% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with lemon.
- Cardamom: top 37% of pairs with licorice, top 1% with lemon.
- Flaxseed: top 21% of pairs with licorice, top 7% with lemon.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with licorice and lemon
Mostly desserts: 1 of the 2 recipes with a course label are desserts.
Can you swap one for the other?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: licorice has 21 molecules lemon doesn't, and lemon has 344 that licorice 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 14 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 21 only in licorice and the 344 only in lemon.
Licorice and lemon questions
Do licorice and lemon go together?
A cook's pairing more than a chemical one: 14 recipes use both, though they share little aroma. They rank in the top 40% of all ingredient pairs.
What do licorice and lemon have in common?
They overlap on 14 flavor molecules: 40% of licorice's 35. Among the shared key aromas are 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy) and alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral). So the pairing rests more on how cooks use them than on shared aroma.
What goes with licorice and lemon?
Fennel is the best third ingredient: top 31% of pairs with licorice and top 1% with lemon. Orange and cardamom also fit both.
What can you make with licorice and lemon?
Mostly desserts: 1 of the 2 recipes with a course label are desserts. Common dishes include Herbal Energy Drink, Spring Cupcakes.
Can I use lemon instead of licorice?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: licorice has 21 molecules lemon doesn't, and lemon has 344 that licorice 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: Licorice vs Lemon. https://compkitchen.com/compare/licorice-vs-lemon. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_licorice_vs_lemon_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Licorice vs Lemon},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/licorice-vs-lemon},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.