Sweet and Sour Mango Tofu

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. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,038 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Lemon + gingertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,154 recipes

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

3. Mango + gingertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together280 recipes

   Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).

4. Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,402 recipes

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

5. Tofu + gingertop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together284 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

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

What each ingredient does

Tofu

Firm cubes absorb the marinade and hold their shape during stir-frying.

Mango

Puree adds sweetness, body and fruity aroma to the sauce.

Tamari

Salty, savoury depth that balances the sweet and sour flavours.

Lemon juice

Acidity that gives the sauce its sour note and brightness.

Honey

Adds sweetness and helps the sauce cling and glaze the tofu.

Cashews

Toasted nuts add crunch and a rich, buttery flavour at the end.

The step that matters

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tofu, sauce, mango, honey, ginger, clove, garlic):

1. Limefits better
2. Coconutfits better
3. Avocadofits better
4. Lemonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tofu, sauce, mango, honey, ginger, clove, garlic. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.