Why it works: Lime and cumin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,216 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Strawberry-Mango Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Make the salad
In a bowl, toss all ingredients except salt to blend thoroughly, then mix in salt.
Serve
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to two days.
Serve with corn chips, chicken or mild white fish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Mango | 1 cup diced (165g) | 99 |
| Strawberry | 1 cup (152g) | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Cumin | 1 tsp ground (2.1g) | 8 |
| Cilantro | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Lime + cumintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,216 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Mango + limetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together506 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Lime + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,491 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Onion + cumintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,498 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Mango + peppertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together471 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Strawberries
- Provide the sweet, juicy fruit base and most of the salad's volume.
- Mango
- Adds sweetness and a soft, creamy texture that balances the lime.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the fruit and keeps its flavour fresh.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mango, lime, pepper, cumin):
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mango, lime, pepper, cumin. 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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