Name: Asian Pear Slaw with Chilies
Ingredients: 6 celery ribs; 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice; 4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar; 1 tsp ginger root; 6 Asian Pears, sliced ¼-inch thick; 3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal; ¼ cup Cilantro leaves; ½ tsp Fresno chili or Jalapeno chili, finely chopped

Why it works: Lime and jalapeno are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,035 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

Asian Pear Slaw with Chilies

Ingredients

6 celery ribs
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
4 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp ginger root
6 Asian Pears, sliced ¼-inch thick
3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal
¼ cup Cilantro leaves
½ tsp Fresno chili or Jalapeno chili, finely chopped

Directions

Make the dressing

Whisk together lime juice, rice vinegar, and ginger.

Assemble and rest

Stir in celery and remaining ingredients with salt and pepper to taste.
Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

176Calories

3 gProtein

1 gFat

44 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Asian Pear	1 medium (178g)	101
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Ginger	1 tsp grated fresh (2g)	2
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1

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.

Lime + jalapenotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,035 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Lime + gingertop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,621 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Celery + limetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together305 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ginger + peartop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together452 recipes

Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Celery + ricetop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,169 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

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

What each ingredient does

Asian pears: Add crisp, juicy texture and mild sweetness to the slaw.
Celery: Adds crunch and a fresh, mildly vegetal bite.
Lime juice: Provides bright acidity that balances the sweetness of the pears.
Rice vinegar: Adds gentle acidity that brightens the dressing without harshness.
Ginger root: Contributes a warm, aromatic note to the dressing.
Fresno or jalapeño chili: Adds heat and a green, peppery flavor.

The step that matters

Let the slaw stand 15 minutes. Salt and acid draw moisture from the celery and pears and let the dressing soak in, so flavors meld. Serving much later than this can leave the slaw watery and limp.

Swap the pear

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (celery, lime, rice, vinegar, ginger, jalapeno):

Avocadofits better
Mangofits better
Lemonfits better
Pearthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against celery, lime, rice, vinegar, ginger, jalapeno. 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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Asian Pear Slaw with Chilies