Why it works: Mandarin orange and orange share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 87 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Orange Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Combine syrup from orange segments, orange juice and enough water to make 2 cups.
Add orange peel, rice and sugar.
Cook
Cook over medium heat until rice is thick and creamy, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat; stir in orange liqueur and vanilla.
Chill and serve
Chill until mixture begins to set.
Stir in 1 cup whipped cream and half of the orange segments.
Spoon into serving dishes; top with remaining 1 cup whipped cream and orange segments.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Mandarin Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Syrup | not in our table | 0 |
| Topping | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Mandarin orange + orangetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together87 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Orange + vanillatop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,371 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Mandarin orange + vanillatop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together57 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Syrup + sugartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,842 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar and vanilla 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
- Cooked rice
- Its starch thickens the liquid as it cooks into a creamy, pudding-like texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the pudding and balances the tartness of the citrus.
- Heavy cream
- Whipped, it adds lightness and richness to the chilled pudding.
- Mandarin orange segments
- Add bright citrus flavor and juicy texture, and their syrup flavors the base.
- Orange liqueur
- Adds concentrated orange aroma that complements the fruit.
The step that matters
Cook the rice until thick and creamy. Rice starch needs sustained gentle heat and regular stirring to thicken evenly. Stirring also keeps the rice from sticking and scorching on the bottom of the pan.
Swap the mandarin orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (syrup, rice, sugar, orange, vanilla, cream):
- Coconutfits better
- Figfits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Mandarin orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against syrup, rice, sugar, orange, vanilla, cream. 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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