Why it works: Tofu and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 250 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Soondooboo Jjigae
Ingredients
Directions
Marinate the pork
Marinate pork with ginger juice, soy sauce, sesame oil and minced garlic.
Cook the stew
Add vegetable oil and sauté pork.
Add gochugaru and stir.
Add water and kimchi, then bring to a boil.
Scoop in soondubu with a spoon and reduce heat.
Add saeujeot.
Add chilies, green onions and clams, then cook for a minute or so.
Finish with egg yolk in the center and a dash of sesame oil.
Serve with rice.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 12 of 14 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Tofu | 100g firm | 76 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| 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.
-
Tofu + sesametop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together250 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Onion + sesametop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,192 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Ginger + sesametop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,531 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Garlic + sesametop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,000 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Soon doo boo (soft tofu)
- Provides a silky, custard-like body that soaks up the broth.
- Kimchi
- Adds sourness and depth as it cooks into the broth.
- Go choogaroo (korean chili powder)
- Supplies heat and a red color to the stew.
- Pork (or beef)
- Adds savory richness and browning from sautéing in oil.
- Egg yolk
- Enriches the broth and mellows the heat when stirred in.
- Clams
- Release their juices into the broth, adding briny sweetness.
The step that matters
Scooping in the soondubu. Soft tofu breaks apart easily, so add it gently with a spoon in large pieces. Stirring vigorously turns it mushy and cloudy, and the stew loses its delicate texture.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, clam, onion, egg, garlic, sauce, sesame):
- Capersfits about as well
- Cuminfits about as well
- Turmericfits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, clam, onion, egg, garlic, sauce, sesame. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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