Why it works: Cinnamon and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,380 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Sweet Ale Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
Place the beer, lemon rind, cinnamon, and ginger in a large saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Thicken the soup
In a small bowl, mix together the cornflour and cold water to a smooth paste.
Add a few spoonfuls of the hot beer to the cornflour mixture.
Add the cornflour mixture to the beer, stirring constantly.
Simmer the soup gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Finish and serve
In a small bowl, mix together the egg yolks and milk.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the egg mixture to the soup, stirring constantly.
Return the soup to very low heat and cook gently until heated through.
Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Cinnamon + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,380 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Lemon + gingertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,154 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Lemon + cinnamontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,950 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Milk + cinnamontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,655 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Lemon + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Stout
- Gives the soup its main malty, slightly bitter flavour and liquid base.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and softens the flavour of the beer.
- Egg yolks
- Enrich and thicken the soup as they gently cook, adding richness.
- Cornflour
- Thickens the liquid into a smooth, body-rich soup when heated.
The step that matters
Adding the egg mixture. Egg yolks can scramble if they meet hot liquid directly. Removing the pan from the heat and stirring constantly lets them thicken smoothly into the soup.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, milk, egg, cinnamon):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cardamomfits better
- Allspicefits about as well
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, milk, egg, cinnamon. 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.
You might also like
Lemon Sauce236 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.