Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Candied Yams I
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cool yams, peel, and slice lengthwise.
Place the yam slices in a covered baking dish.
Add the sweet layer and bake
Sprinkle the raisins over the yams.
In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, sugar substitute, and spices; sprinkle over the yams.
Dot with margarine and add water.
Cover the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the cover, then bake another 15–20 minutes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Sugar Substitute | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cloves | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| Yam | not in our table | 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.
-
Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Cinnamon + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,189 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Nutmeg + clovetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,686 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Yam + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together41 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Yams
- Form the bulk of the dish and soften into a tender, starchy base as they bake.
- Margarine
- Adds fat that enriches the sauce and helps the surface brown slightly.
- Brown sugar
- Sweetens and helps the syrupy glaze caramelize in the oven.
- Raisins
- Add concentrated sweetness and chewy texture as they plump in the liquid.
The step that matters
Remove the cover for the final bake. Keeping the dish covered throughout traps steam and leaves the glaze thin and pale; uncovering lets moisture evaporate so the sugars thicken and brown.
Swap the yam
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (raisin, sugar, sugar substitute, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove):
- Sweet potatofits better
- Yamthe original
- Arrowrootfits about as well
- Capsicumfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against raisin, sugar, sugar substitute, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. 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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