Name: Lithuanian Cabbage
Ingredients: 1 med. head cabbage; 2 tbsp. brown sugar; 1 med. head purple cabbage; 1 med. can sauerkraut (strain a little); 1 lb. bacon, chopped and cooked (pour some fat off); 1 med. onion, chopped and sauteed in bacon fat

Why it works: Cabbage and onion match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,001 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Lithuanian Cabbage

Time10 minutes

Ingredients

1 med. head cabbage
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 med. head purple cabbage
1 med. can sauerkraut (strain a little)
1 lb. bacon, chopped and cooked (pour some fat off)
1 med. onion, chopped and sauteed in bacon fat

Directions

Cook cabbage in a small amount of water for 10 minutes or until crisp and tender.
Cook onion and bacon until bacon is crisp.
Combine cabbage, brown sugar, bacon, and onion.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

191Calories

8 gProtein

4 gFat

34 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Broccoli	1 cup chopped (156g)	55
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Bacon	1 slice cooked (8g)	43
Sauerkraut	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.

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.

Cabbage + oniontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,001 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Cabbage + sugartop 30% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,037 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar + oniontop 36% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together15,747 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Sugar and onion barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,747 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

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

What each ingredient does

Bacon: Adds savory fat and crisp browned pieces that flavor the whole dish.
Brown sugar: Adds sweetness that balances the sharp, savory flavor of the cabbage and sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut: Adds tangy acidity that gives the dish its characteristic sour flavor.