Name: Cocoa Mix
Ingredients: 8 cups instant nonfat dry milk; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 cup sugar; 1 cup unsweetened cocoa

Why it works: Milk and cocoa work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 643 recipes. Both carry methyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Cocoa Mix

Ingredients

8 cups instant nonfat dry milk
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa

Directions

Mix ingredients together thoroughly and store in an airtight container.
Place 1/3 cup mix in a regular-size coffee cup.
Add hot water to fill the cup, then stir.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

353Calories

9 gProtein

17 gFat

42 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Chocolate	1 oz (28g) semisweet	155
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

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.

Milk + cocoatop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together643 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Milk + sugartop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together77,875 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar + cocoatop 27% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together956 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

Milk and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

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

What each ingredient does

Instant nonfat dry milk: Makes up most of the mix and gives the drink its body.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps balance the bitterness of the cocoa.
Unsweetened cocoa: Supplies the chocolate flavor and dark color.