Hanoi Bun Bao

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. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,038 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Garlic + peanuttop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together877 recipes

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

3. Ginger + garlictop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together6,402 recipes

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

4. Peanut + lettucetop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together170 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).

5. Garlic + lettucetop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,078 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

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

What each ingredient does

Beef flank

Provides the main protein; thin slicing and pounding tenderize it so it cooks quickly.

Soy sauce

Adds salty, savoury depth and helps the meat brown in the pan.

Garlic

Adds aroma and pungent flavour when fried in oil.

Dry roasted peanuts

Add crunch and toasty, nutty flavour to the finished bowl.

Bean sprouts

Add crisp, watery texture that contrasts with the soft noodles and meat.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, ginger, garlic, sugar, sauce, peanut, lettuce):

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

Fit is the average pairing score against beef, ginger, garlic, sugar, sauce, peanut, lettuce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.