Name: Pineapple Salad
Ingredients: 1 large ripe pineapple,; 1 large or 4 small firm tomatoes,; 2 green peppers (hot if desired),; 1 red onion,; 1 or 2 lemons (depending on sourness) or 3 limes,; a pinch of salt and; a pinch of black pepper.

Why it works: Pepper and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,047 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓

Pineapple Salad

Ingredients

1 large ripe pineapple,
1 large or 4 small firm tomatoes,
2 green peppers (hot if desired),
1 red onion,
1 or 2 lemons (depending on sourness) or 3 limes,
a pinch of salt and
a pinch of black pepper.

Directions

Prepare the pineapple

Slice the pineapple in the middle vertically starting from the top (leave the leaves on).
Scoop or cut the pineapple from the shell, cut it in cubes and set aside in a mixing bowl.

Assemble and serve

Slice the green peppers and the onion in thin strips, cube the tomatoes, mix with the pineapple.
Juice the lemons, add salt and pepper, stir and pour the dressing over the salad, mix together.
Use the two hollowed pineapple halves for serving bowls.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

183Calories

4 gProtein

1 gFat

47 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Pineapple	1 cup chunks (165g)	82
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Pepper + lemontop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together27,047 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together17,923 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Tomato + lemontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,592 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Pineapple: Provides the main sweetness, juice and fresh fruit flavor of the salad.
Tomatoes: Add moisture and a mild acidity that balances the sweet pineapple.
Lemons: Add acidity that brightens the flavors and balances the sweetness of the fruit.
Red onion: Adds sharp, pungent flavor that contrasts with the sweet fruit.