Why it works: Tomato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,633 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Chili Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Combine 12 large tomatoes and 2 cups vinegar.
Add 1 large or 2 small onions, 1 tablespoon salt, and nutmeg.
Add 1 large or 2 small green peppers, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and ginger.
Boil for 2 hours, then bottle.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Cinnamon | 1 tsp ground (2.6g) | 6 |
| 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.
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.
-
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cinnamon + tomatotop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,348 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + tomatotop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,063 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Cinnamon + oniontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,150 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Form the bulk of the sauce and provide body and sweetness as they cook down.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that balances the sweetness and gives the sauce its tang.
- Onions
- Add savoury depth and aroma and help give the sauce body.
- Green peppers
- Contribute fresh, slightly bitter vegetable flavour that stands up to long cooking.
- Cinnamon
- Adds warm aroma and spice notes to the sauce.
The step that matters
Boil for 2 hours, then bottle.. Long boiling evaporates water and concentrates the tomatoes, vinegar and spices, so the sauce thickens and its flavour mellows. Stopping too early leaves it thin and sharp, and it must be fully cooked before bottling.
Swap the cinnamon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, tomato, onion):
- Garlicfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Cinnamonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, tomato, onion. 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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