Why it works: Cucumber and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,050 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Sweet Sour Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash, peel and slice the cucumber finely.
Skin and slice the onion finely as well.
Deseed the chili and make fine slices.
Assemble and chill
Take a shallow bowl, place the cucumber slices, then place the sliced onions and sprinkle the sliced chilies on top.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together and pour this over the onions and cucumbers.
Refrigerate the salad for a few hours.
Serve chilled.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Cucumber | 1/2 cup sliced (52g) | 16 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Cucumber + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,050 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cucumbers
- Provide the crisp, watery bulk of the salad.
- Onion
- Adds sharp pungency that mellows as it sits in the dressing.
- Red thai chile
- Adds heat and a bright, fresh bite.
The step that matters
Refrigerate the salad for a few hours. Salt and acid in the dressing draw water out of the cucumber and soften the onion, so the salad needs time to marinate. Chilling keeps the cucumber crisp while the flavours blend.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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