Texican 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. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together29,058 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

2. Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,713 recipes

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

3. Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,076 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

4. Rice + beanstop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,017 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

5. Garlic + beanstop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,935 recipes

   Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

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

What each ingredient does

Lean ground beef

Provides the savory, browned meat base that carries the seasonings.

Cooked rice

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

Garbanzo beans

Add firm texture and substance that holds up to the warm meat mixture.

Eggs

Bind the cottage cheese and Parmesan into a set, cohesive layer.

Cottage cheese

Adds creamy moisture and a soft, tender texture.

Cheddar cheese

Melts over the warm mixture and adds richness and savory flavor.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion, sauce, garlic, rice, beans, tomato):

1. Cuminfits better
2. Oreganofits better
3. Corianderfits better
4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion, sauce, garlic, rice, beans, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.