Name: Ukpo Oka
Ingredients: 4 ears of fresh sweet corn; 2 fresh peppers; 1 onion; ⅓ teaspoon ground crayfish; ⅓ cup water; ¼ cup palm oil; ⅓ teaspoon salt

Why it works: Corn and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,324 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓

Ukpo Oka

Time45 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Blend together the corn, pepper, onion, and crayfish with a small amount of water.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl, and stir in salt and palm oil to taste.

Steam and serve

Pour the mixture into a mold.
Place in boiling water, and steam for 45 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

246Calories

4 gProtein

15 gFat

28 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Corn	1/2 cup kernels (82g)	77
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Crayfish	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.

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.

Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,324 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Corn + oniontop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,205 recipes

Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
Corn + crayfishtop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Onion + crayfishtop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together213 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

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

What each ingredient does

Corn: Provides the bulk and natural sweetness of the pudding, and its starch helps it set as it steams.
Palm oil: Adds richness and fat, giving the pudding a smoother texture and a distinctive flavour.
Peppers: Add heat and aroma that give the pudding its savoury, spicy character.
Onion: Adds savoury depth and aroma to the blended base.