Why it works: Leek and flour match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 328 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Kimchi Jun
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Squeeze water out of the kimchi and chop it.
Cut the leeks into about 1‑inch pieces.
Make the batter
Whisk the egg and milk (or water) into the flour until well mixed.
Combine the kimchi, leeks, and batter; add a dash of salt.
Cook
Heat a pan, add a few drops of vegetable oil, and fry the pancakes to taste.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Kimchi | 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.
-
Leek + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together328 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Leek + milktop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together200 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Kimchi
- Supplies sourness, savory flavor, and moisture once squeezed and chopped into the batter.
- Flour
- Forms the batter's structure, binding the kimchi and leeks as the pancake sets.
- Egg
- Binds the batter and helps it set firmly when fried.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softness to the batter, loosening it for even frying.
- Leeks
- Add mild onion-like sweetness and tender texture to the pancake.
The step that matters
Squeeze the kimchi dry. Excess water from kimchi thins the batter and steams instead of frying, so the pancake turns soggy and fails to crisp. Squeezing it first keeps the batter thick and the surface browning.
Swap the leek
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, flour, milk):
- Arrowrootfits better
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
- Leekthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, flour, milk. 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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