Why it works: Clove and coriander match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,221 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Ema Daji
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Bring the water to a boil in a medium pan and add the chiles, onion, and oil. Cover, reduce heat to a strong simmer, and cook for about 15 minutes.
Add the garlic and return to a boil, reduce heat again and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the garlic and chiles are soft.
Add the cheese and serve
Stir in the cheese and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir once, then cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
Taste and add salt if needed. Serve sprinkled with a few bits of coriander leaf.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Feta Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Coriander | 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.
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.
-
Clove + coriandertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,221 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Onion + coriandertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,219 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Onion + clovetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together16,901 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
-
Onion + cheesetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,849 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cheese + coriandertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together661 recipes
Shared aroma: 5-ethyl-3-hydroxy-4-methyl-2(5h)-furanone (spice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chiles
- Provide the main heat and pungent flavour that defines the soup.
- Onion
- Softens during simmering and adds sweetness and savoury depth to the broth.
- Garlic
- Softens into the broth, adding aroma and a mellow pungency.
- Feta or other mild, non-melting cheese
- Softens without fully melting, adding creamy richness and salty flavour to the soup.
The step that matters
Adding the cheese. Stirring in the cheese and simmering only briefly keeps it soft and creamy rather than melting into stringy strands or breaking down, because prolonged boiling makes proteins tighten and separate.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, cheese, coriander):
- Cuminfits better
- Garlicfits better
- Thymefits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, cheese, coriander. 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.
You might also like
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
Cheese Making50 recipes
Cheese Fritters34 recipes
Cheese Omelette31 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.