Why it works: Turnip and water chestnut share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Chinese Mushrooms
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Remove mushroom heads from stems and thoroughly wash.
Mix the pork, turnip, soy sauce, water chestnuts, salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
Assemble and steam
Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing.
Steam the mushrooms for approximately 30 minutes, then serve.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Turnip | 1 medium (122g) | 34 |
| Mushrooms | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water Chestnut | 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.
-
Turnip + water chestnuttop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Mushroom + porktop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol (allspice, anise).
-
Mushroom + water chestnuttop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together114 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Mushroom + turniptop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together669 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Pork + turniptop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,358 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ground pork
- Provides the main filling body and savory richness as it cooks through during steaming.
- Chinese salted turnip
- Adds a salty, savory flavor that seasons the pork filling.
- Water chestnuts
- Add a crisp, juicy texture that contrasts with the soft pork and mushrooms.
- Mushrooms
- Hold the filling in their caps and release moisture that keeps the stuffing tender while steaming.
The step that matters
Steam the mushrooms for approximately 30 minutes. Steaming must cook the ground pork fully through while keeping the mushrooms tender and moist. Too little time leaves the pork undercooked, and too long can make the mushrooms soggy and shrunken.
Swap the turnip
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, pork, sauce, water chestnut, sugar):
- Welsh onionfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Turnipthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, pork, sauce, water chestnut, sugar. 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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