Why it works: Plum and grape match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 238 recipes. Both carry damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Plum Rice Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Combine rice, plums, chives and raisins in a large bowl. Do not mix; set aside.
Combine grape juice, oil, vinegar, honey, ginger, coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to blend.
Assemble and serve
Pour dressing over salad and toss.
Top with bacon.
Serve over lettuce leaves.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 13 of 15 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| White Grape Juice | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Plum | 1 medium (66g) | 30 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Lettuce | 1 cup shredded (36g) | 5 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Cider | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | 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.
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.
-
Plum + grapetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together238 recipes
Shared aroma: damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Grape + honeytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together707 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,431 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).
-
Plum + cidertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together87 recipes
Shared aroma: damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Rice + chivetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together241 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cooked brown rice
- Forms the bulk of the salad and gives it a chewy, substantial base.
- Plums
- Add juicy sweetness and fresh fruity moisture to the salad.
- Golden raisins
- Add concentrated sweetness and soft chewiness throughout the salad.
- Cider vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the honey's sweetness.
- Honey
- Adds sweetness to the dressing and helps it cling to the rice and fruit.
- Vegetable oil
- Provides fat that carries flavour and gives the dressing a smooth body.
The step that matters
Combine the rice and plums without mixing. The instruction says not to mix the rice, plums, chives and raisins before the dressing is added. Keeping them loose avoids crushing the soft plum pieces and turning the rice mushy before the dressing is tossed through.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, plum, chive, grape, cider, vinegar, honey):
- Applefits better
- Pearfits better
- Figfits better
- Raisinthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, plum, chive, grape, cider, vinegar, honey. 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.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Salad Dressing491 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipes
Cold Slaw160 recipes