Name: Cumin Ketchup
Ingredients: ½ cup ketchup; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Why it works: Ketchup and vinegar work together. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 737 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Cumin Ketchup

Time30 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup ketchup
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Directions

Combine ketchup, cumin, and vinegar in a bowl and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Serve with any dish that typically uses ketchup.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

33Calories

2 gProtein

1 gFat

6 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 3 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Cumin	1 tsp ground (2.1g)	8
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3

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.

Ketchup + vinegartop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together737 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Cumin + vinegartop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together923 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ketchup + cumintop 80% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together0 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

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

What each ingredient does

Ketchup: Forms the sweet, tangy base that the other flavours are mixed into.
Ground cumin: Adds warm, earthy aroma and flavour to the ketchup.
Balsamic vinegar: Adds acidity and depth that balances the sweetness of the ketchup.