Lime + Cider
A good pairing. Cooks put them together in 97 recipes, and they share 22 flavor molecules: the top 24% of all ingredient pairs.
Do lime and cider 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
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.
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.
Add a third ingredient
- Coriander: the best fit for both, top 1% of pairs with lime, top 21% with cider.
- Mango: top 1% of pairs with lime, top 14% with cider.
- Avocado: top 1% of pairs with lime, top 27% with cider.
- Thyme: top 1% of pairs with lime, top 15% with cider.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with lime and cider
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: lime has 277 molecules cider doesn't, and cider has 86 that lime 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 277 only in lime and the 86 only in cider.
Lime and cider questions
Do lime and cider 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 lime and cider 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 lime and cider?
Coriander is the best third ingredient: top 1% of pairs with lime and top 21% with cider. Mango and avocado also fit both.
What can you make with lime and cider?
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 cider instead of lime?
Not really. Each has a lot the other lacks: lime has 277 molecules cider doesn't, and cider has 86 that lime 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: Lime vs Cider. https://compkitchen.com/compare/lime-vs-cider. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_lime_vs_cider_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Lime vs Cider},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/lime-vs-cider},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.