Why it works: Clove and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Tomato Catsup
Ingredients
Directions
Boil the vinegar, mace, cloves, black pepper, Jamaica pepper, long pepper, ginger, mustard seed, salt, capsicums, garlic, and horseradish for half an hour.
Peel the tomatoes and add them to the mixture.
Boil all together for half an hour.
Strain through a sieve.
Bottle when cold.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 11 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Long Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Mace | not in our table | 0 |
| Seed | not in our table | 0 |
| Capsicum | 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.
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.
-
Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,038 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + capsicumtop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,571 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Garlic + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,053 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Garlic + gingertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,402 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Provide the main body, flavour and liquid base of the ketchup.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the ketchup its sharp tang and helps preserve it.
- Garlic
- Contributes pungent, savoury aroma that deepens during boiling.
- Mustard seed
- Adds sharp, pungent heat and a savoury background note.
The step that matters
Straining through a sieve. Tomato and spice solids must be fully separated after boiling, or the ketchup stays grainy and its texture turns thick and uneven. Straining while the mixture is still hot helps the liquid pass through more easily.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, garlic, clove, pepper, ginger, mustard, capsicum):
- Allspicefits better
- Turmericfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, garlic, clove, pepper, ginger, mustard, capsicum. 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.
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