Brownies I

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.

1. Olive + walnuttop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,087 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

2. Olive + ricetop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together4,994 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

3. Vanilla + sugartop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together35,032 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

4. Rice + walnuttop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together430 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

5. Cocoa powder + vanillatop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,189 recipes

   Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).

Vanilla and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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

Cocoa powder

Provides the chocolate flavor and deep color of the brownies.

Olive oil

Adds fat, giving the brownies a moist, tender crumb.

Egg substitute

Binds the batter and helps set the structure as it bakes.

Sugar

Sweetens the batter and adds moisture and a chewy texture.

Rice flour

Provides the starch and structure that hold the brownies together.

Walnuts

Add crunch and a nutty flavor that contrasts with the soft crumb.

The step that matters

Swap the walnut

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cocoa powder, olive, egg, vanilla, sugar, rice, flour):

1. Almondfits better
2. Hazelnutfits better
3. Chestnutfits better
4. Walnutthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cocoa powder, olive, egg, vanilla, sugar, rice, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.