Why it works: Mushroom and barley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 110 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity. The science ↓
Tibetan Barley Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and cook the vegetables
Cut up enough mushrooms to measure 2 cups.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter (yak butter if available) in a large saucepan and stir in vegetables until they are well coated.
Continue cooking over medium heat until softened, stirring occasionally.
Simmer the soup
Mix in 1/4 cup pot barley and then add 4 cups water (preferable from the nearest mountain spring). Bring rapidly to a boil, then simmer about an hour, covered.
Just before it is done, add 1 tablespoon shoyu (soy sauce) and a grind or so of pepper, if desired.
Check and serve
When the soup is ready, it should be of a chowder-like thickness and the grains should be soft but chewy.
There will be a golden sheen on the surface and the heavenly smell will waft you across the Himalayas.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Barley | 1 cup cooked (157g) | 193 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| 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.
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Mushroom + barleytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together110 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity).
-
Mushroom + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,525 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,338 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Mushroom + saucetop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,480 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + barleytop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together481 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 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
- Mushrooms
- Soften and release their savory juices, adding body and earthy flavor to the broth.
- Yak butter
- Fat that coats the vegetables and carries aroma, adding richness and a golden sheen.
- Pot barley
- Starchy grain that softens during simmering, thickening the soup to a chowder-like texture.
- Shoyu (soy sauce)
- Adds salty, savory depth and a touch of color to the finished soup.
The step that matters
Simmering the barley. Barley must simmer long enough for its starch to soften and release into the liquid. Too short leaves the grains hard, and too long can make the soup gluey or overly thick.
“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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