Marjoram + Nutmeg
A proven pairing. Cooks put them together in 687 recipes, and they share 247 flavor molecules: the top 1% of all ingredient pairs.
Do marjoram and nutmeg go together?
Yes. 687 recipes in our collection combine them, and they share 247 flavor molecules. That places them in the top 1% of every ingredient pair we score.
Why they work
Almost everything nutmeg carries, marjoram has too: 247 of nutmeg's 301 flavor molecules also occur in marjoram. Among the shared key aromas are estragole (anise, licorice) and beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
What each one brings
marjoram
Much the same character. It carries 58 molecules nutmeg doesn't have.
nutmeg
Much the same character. It carries 54 molecules marjoram doesn't have.
Add a third ingredient
- Winter savory: the best fit for both, top 1% of pairs with marjoram, top 1% with nutmeg.
- Thyme: top 1% of pairs with marjoram, top 3% with nutmeg.
- Summer savory: top 1% of pairs with marjoram, top 1% with nutmeg.
- Allspice: top 1% of pairs with marjoram, top 1% with nutmeg.
Ranked by the average of its two pairing scores. Only foods used in at least 100 recipes are suggested.
Recipes with marjoram and nutmeg
Almost always mains: 14 of the 14 recipes with a course label are mains.
Can you swap one for the other?
Fairly well, for flavor. Each carries most of the other's flavor molecules (81% of marjoram's and 82% of nutmeg's are shared). This compares flavor only; texture, moisture and the job each does in a dish matter too.
All 247 shared molecules
See every shared molecule grouped by chemical class, with key aromas marked, plus the 58 only in marjoram and the 54 only in nutmeg.
Marjoram and nutmeg questions
Do marjoram and nutmeg go together?
A proven pairing. Cooks put them together in 687 recipes, and they share 247 flavor molecules: the top 1% of all ingredient pairs.
Why do marjoram and nutmeg taste good together?
Almost everything nutmeg carries, marjoram has too: 247 of nutmeg's 301 flavor molecules also occur in marjoram. Among the shared key aromas are estragole (anise, licorice) and beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
What goes with marjoram and nutmeg?
Winter savory is the best third ingredient: top 1% of pairs with marjoram and top 1% with nutmeg. Thyme and summer savory also fit both.
What can you make with marjoram and nutmeg?
Almost always mains: 14 of the 14 recipes with a course label are mains. Common dishes include A Boned Turkey, Asparagus Latkes, Collared Pork, G'hackknoedel.
Can I use nutmeg instead of marjoram?
Fairly well, for flavor. Each carries most of the other's flavor molecules (81% of marjoram's and 82% of nutmeg's are shared). 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: Marjoram vs Nutmeg. https://compkitchen.com/compare/marjoram-vs-nutmeg. Accessed 2026-11-04.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_marjoram_vs_nutmeg_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Marjoram vs Nutmeg},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare/marjoram-vs-nutmeg},
note = {Accessed: 2026-11-04}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.