Plum Pudding

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.

1. Raisin + flourtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,075 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

3. Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together41,516 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

4. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together43,450 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

5. Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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

Flour

Builds the structure that holds the pudding together as it steams.

Eggs

Bind the batter and help set the pudding's structure as it cooks.

Butter

Adds fat for a richer, more tender crumb.

Molasses (in the method)

Adds sweetness, moisture and a dark color with a deep flavor.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acidic buttermilk to produce gas that lightens the pudding.

Raisins

Add sweetness, chewy texture and concentrated fruit flavor.

The step that matters

Swap the raisin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, milk, flour, cream, egg):

1. Vanillafits better
2. Raisinthe original
3. Coconutfits less well
4. Figfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, milk, flour, cream, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.