Gherkin Pickles

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together68,474 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

2. Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,226 recipes

   Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

3. Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together27,814 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

4. Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together20,806 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

5. Sugar + peppertop 32% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together19,401 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 19,401 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Gherkins

Form the main body of the pickle and absorb the vinegar and spiced brine flavour.

Best vinegar

Provides the acidity that preserves the gherkins and gives the pickle its sharp tang.

Brown sugar

Balances the sharpness of the vinegar with sweetness and adds depth of flavour.

Coarse sea salt

Draws water out of the gherkins and helps firm their texture during brining.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, sugar, pepper):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Mustardfits better
3. Cabbagefits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, sugar, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.