Name: Coconut and Corn Pudding
Ingredients: 1 tsp salt 14; 3 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 114 e cow's; 2 tbsp cornstarch 114 e cow's; 2 tbsp sugar; 2 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp sugar yolks 2 eggs pinch salt heat part of the milk; 2 tbsp sugar yolks 2 eggs pinch salt heat part of the milk; 1 doz; 1 grated coconut 1 pt; 4 eggs 1 tsp salt 14; 22 coconut pudding -- 1; 2 eggs 3 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp cornstarch 114 e cow's; 2 eggs pinch salt heat part of the milk; salt; pepper

Why it works: Milk and coconut are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,648 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

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.

Milk + coconuttop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,648 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Coconut + peppertop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together969 recipes

Shared aroma: phenylethanol (rose, floral).
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together88,785 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together77,875 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together122,807 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

Eggs: Egg whites add airy structure to the topping, and yolks enrich the custard and help it set.
Cornstarch: Thickens the milk mixture into a soft, sliceable pudding body as it heats.
Milk: Forms the liquid base that the starch thickens and the custard is made from.
Grated coconut: Adds coconut flavor and moisture, and a chewy texture to the pudding.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps the meringue topping brown.

The step that matters

Thickening the cornstarch. Cornstarch must be brought to a boil while stirring constantly. Heating it fully swells the starch granules so the mixture thickens smoothly, while stopping early leaves lumps and a raw starchy taste.

Swap the coconut

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

Lemonfits better
Vanillafits better
Figfits better
Coconutthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, milk, pepper. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Coconut	1/2 cup shredded (40g)	283
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Pudding	not in our table	0

Coconut and Corn Pudding