Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Kimchi Jjigae
Ingredients
Directions
Make the stew
Put a pot on the stove and turn the heat on.
Add pork belly and sauté for a minute or so.
Add gochujang and cook until the meat becomes white.
Pour in the water and add kimchi.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add soy sauce, gochugaru and garlic.
Cook for 20-30 minutes.
Add chilies, green onions, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute.
Serve
Serve with rice.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Kimchi | not in our table | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Tofu + garlictop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together604 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Onion + tofutop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together729 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pork + oniontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,214 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
- Pork belly
- Its fat renders into the broth, adding richness and body to the stew.
- Kimchi
- Its fermented sourness and savoury depth flavour the whole stew.
- Gochujang (in the method)
- Fermented chili paste that adds heat, sweetness and a deep red colour to the broth.
- Gochugaru (in the method)
- Korean chili powder that adds clean heat and colour to the stew.
- Tofu
- Soaks up the broth and adds a soft, mild texture.
The step that matters
Sautéing the pork belly until it turns white. Browning the fatty pork before adding liquid helps render fat and build flavour; the pork should turn opaque, not stay pink, so it cooks through safely.
“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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