Name: Mexican Habanero Hot Sauce
Ingredients: ½ cup tomato paste; 10–15 habaneros chiles, de-stemmed; ¼ cup malt vinegar; Salt to taste; 5 drops red food coloring

Why it works: Tomato and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,063 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓

Mexican Habanero Hot Sauce

Ingredients

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Refrigerate in a non-reactive container for up to 2 months.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

25Calories

1 gProtein

0 gFat

5 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 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
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Malt	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.

Tomato + vinegartop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,063 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Malt + vinegartop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together365 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Tomato + malttop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together76 recipes

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

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

What each ingredient does

Habanero chiles: Provide the heat and fruity aroma that define the sauce.
Tomato paste: Adds body, thickness and savory depth to the sauce.
Malt vinegar: Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and helps keep the sauce tangy.