Name: Agar Jelly
Ingredients: 5 grams (0.18 oz) agar powder; 100 grams (3.5 oz) white granulated sugar; 500 grams (18 oz) water; 75 grams (2.6 oz) milk; ½ tsp almond extract; 6 Tbsp fruit cocktail; 150 ml (0.625 cups) syrup

Why it works: Sugar and syrup match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,842 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Agar Jelly

Timeabout 15 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the jelly

Put agar, sugar, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then take off the heat.
Drain some of the water.

Set and cut

When cool, add in milk and almond extract.
Pour mixture into tin.
When completely cool, chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until set.
Cut almond jelly into cubes.

Serve

Serve with fruit cocktail and syrup in a glass bowl.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

205Calories

8 gProtein

9 gFat

25 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 8 ingredients. The other 5 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 3 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Almond	1 almond (1.2g)	7
Agar	not in our table	0
Water	not in our table	0
Fruit	not in our table	0
Cocktail	not in our table	0
Syrup	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.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

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.

Sugar + syruptop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,842 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Agar + almondtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Milk + almondtop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,800 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Sugar + almondtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,679 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together77,875 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and milk 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

Agar powder: Forms the firm gel structure as the mixture cools and sets.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and balances the mild, firm texture of the gel.
Milk: Adds creaminess and a milky flavour to the jelly.
Almond extract: Provides the main aroma and flavour of the jelly.

The step that matters

Adding the milk and almond extract. Agar sets firmly as it cools, typically around 35 to 40°C. Stir in the milk and extract once the mixture has cooled slightly but is still liquid, so they blend evenly and the gel sets smooth rather than lumpy or weak.