Ginger Walnut Rice Salad

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. Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,769 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

2. Chicken + oniontop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,814 recipes

   Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

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

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

4. Pepper + gingertop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,800 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

5. Onion + gingertop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together7,595 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cooked rice

Forms the bulk of the salad and absorbs the dressing flavors.

Walnuts

Add crunch and a toasted, nutty flavor that contrasts with the soft rice.

Pineapple tidbits

Add sweetness and juiciness, moistening the rice mixture.

Golden raisins

Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness.

Soy sauce

Adds salty, savory depth to the dressing.

Sesame oil

Adds fat and a toasty aroma to the dressing.

Swap the raisin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, chicken, pineapple, walnut, onion, pepper, ginger):

1. Coconutfits better
2. Limefits better
3. Mangofits better
4. Raisinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, chicken, pineapple, walnut, onion, pepper, ginger. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.