Why it works: Dill and cucumber match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 530 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Mom's Cucumber Salad
8 servingsIngredients
Directions
Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Explore the science
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.
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Dill + cucumbertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together530 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Vinegar + cucumbertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,734 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
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Vinegar + dilltop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together659 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + cucumbertop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,112 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the dill
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, vinegar, cucumber):
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Dillthe original
- Peppermintfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, vinegar, cucumber. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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