North Korean Meatball Soup

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. Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,038 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Chicken + beeftop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,148 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).

3. Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,402 recipes

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

4. Chicken + garlictop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together10,850 recipes

   Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

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

Minced beef

Forms the main body of the meatballs and gives them a savoury, meaty flavour.

Tofu

Adds moisture and a soft, tender texture to the meatball mixture.

Egg

Binds the flour coating so it adheres to the meatballs and forms a light coat.

Seasoned flour

Forms a thin coating that helps the meatballs hold their shape and gives a slightly thicker texture.

Sesame oil

Adds a rich, nutty aroma and fat that carries flavour through the meatballs.

The step that matters

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, beef, tofu, flour, egg, garlic, ginger):

1. Turmericfits better
2. Cuminfits better
3. Corianderfits better
4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, beef, tofu, flour, egg, garlic, ginger. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.