Name: Lena Kracht
Ingredients: three pounds of pie plant add three pounds of sugar; one-half pound chopped almonds; three pounds of sugar; three lemons

Why it works: Almond and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,655 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Lena Kracht

Ingredients

three pounds of pie plant add three pounds of sugar
one-half pound chopped almonds
three pounds of sugar
three lemons

Directions

Combine three pounds of rhubarb, three pounds of sugar, and the juice of three lemons.
Cook for thirty minutes.
Add the grated rind of three lemons and one-half pound chopped almonds.
Cook thirty minutes longer.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

68Calories

1 gProtein

1 gFat

17 gCarbs

Counts 3 of 5 ingredients. The other 2 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
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Almond	1 almond (1.2g)	7
Pie	not in our table	0
Plant	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.

By Paidar, Marie, Mrs., [from old catalog] comp. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

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.

Almond + lemontop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together5,655 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Sugar + almondtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together15,679 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together53,532 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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

Rhubarb (in the method): Provides the tart base and most of the body of the preserve as it breaks down.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and, as it dissolves, thickens the syrup and helps preserve the fruit.
Lemons: Juice adds acidity and brightness, while the grated rind adds aroma.
Almonds: Add crunch and a nutty richness that contrasts with the soft fruit.