Why it works: Allspice and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,395 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Chile Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop three peppers finely, seeds included.
Peel and chop one large onion and twelve ripe tomatoes.
Cook and bottle
Add one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of allspice, one of cloves, one of ginger, one of nutmeg, one of sugar, and two teacupfuls of the best vinegar.
Boil well for one hour, then bottle.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Allspice + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,395 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Allspice + tomatotop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together670 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
- Provide the bulk and moisture that cook down into the body of the sauce.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that brightens the flavour and helps keep the sauce stable.
- Onion
- Adds savoury aroma and a mild sweetness as it softens in the simmer.
- Peppers
- Supply the heat and pungency, with the seeds adding extra fire.
- Allspice
- Contributes warm, aromatic spice notes that round out the sauce.
The step that matters
Boil well for one hour. A long, steady boil lets water evaporate so the sauce thickens and the vegetables soften fully. Boiling too briefly leaves a thin sauce with raw, sharp flavours that have not yet blended together.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (allspice, pepper, tomato, vinegar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against allspice, pepper, tomato, vinegar. 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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