Pepperoni Mushroom Pizza

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. Basil + oreganotop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,390 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,979 recipes

   Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

3. Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,767 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

4. Garlic + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,756 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

5. Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,076 recipes

   Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

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

What each ingredient does

Cooked rice

Forms the base structure of the crust once pressed and baked.

Egg

Binds the rice and cheese so the crust holds together when sliced.

Cheddar cheese

Adds richness and helps the crust bind and brown at the edges.

Tomato sauce

Provides moisture and acidity that flavour the topping.

Mozzarella cheese

Melts over the toppings to create a stretchy, browned layer.

Pepperoni

Releases fat as it bakes, adding savoury flavour and aroma.

The step that matters

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, egg, cheddar cheese, tomato, sauce, basil, oregano):

1. Cuminfits better
2. Thymefits about as well
3. Corianderfits about as well
4. Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against rice, egg, cheddar cheese, tomato, sauce, basil, oregano. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.