Why it works: Carrot and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,053 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Smoked Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Boil the diced smoked ham, onion, carrot and black radish.
When the vegetables and smoked ham are done, pour out the water and mix it with the oatmeal-water.
Add the salt, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.
Add the smoked ham and bring to a boil again.
Season and serve
Season the žur with minced garlic mixed with the salt and dill.
Separately serve the boiled potatoes and hot pork fat.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pork | 100g cooked | 242 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Black Radish | 1/2 cup (58g) | 12 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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Carrot + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Parsley + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together669 recipes
Shared aroma: p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (camphor, herbal).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Carrot + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together321 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Parsley + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,308 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oatmeal-water
- Forms the žur base, giving the soup its sour, tangy character.
- Smoked ham
- Adds smoky, savoury meat flavour to the broth.
- Black radish
- Contributes a sharp, peppery bite to the vegetable broth.
- Garlic
- Adds pungent aroma to the žur seasoning.
The step that matters
Stirring in the oatmeal-water. Oat starch thickens as it heats and can scorch or clump on the bottom of the pot. Stir steadily while the mixture comes to a boil so the žur stays smooth and does not catch.
Swap the radish
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, onion, carrot, parsley, clove, garlic, dill):
- Shallotfits better
- Turnipfits better
- Parsnipfits better
- Radishthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, onion, carrot, parsley, clove, garlic, dill. 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.
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