Graham 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. Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,075 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

2. Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together5,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).

3. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

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

4. Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,623 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Flour and butter 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

Molasses

Adds sweetness, dark colour and moisture to the batter.

Sour milk

Its acidity reacts with the soda so the batter rises and stays light.

Soda

Reacts with the acidic sour milk to release gas, leavening the pudding.

White flour

Provides the main structure that holds the pudding together after steaming.

Butter

Adds fat for richness and a tender, moist crumb.

Egg

Binds the mixture and adds structure and richness.

The step that matters

Swap the nutmeg

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

1. Cinnamonfits better
2. Nutmegthe original
3. Clovefits less well
4. Allspicefits less well

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