Telegram Conservation Cook Book

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. Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,081 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

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

3. Milk + appletop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,104 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).

4. Cabbage + appletop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together235 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

Cabbage

Forms the bulk of the dish and softens into a tender texture as it cooks.

Vinegar

Adds acidity that sharpens the flavor and balances the sweetness.

Butter or bacon fat

Carries flavor and adds richness to the cabbage and onion.

Onion (in the method)

Adds aroma and savory depth when softened in the fat.

Sugar (in the method)

Adds sweetness that rounds out the sharp vinegar.

The step that matters

Swap the apple

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, milk, butter, cabbage, egg, vinegar, pepper):

1. Lemonfits better
2. Plumfits about as well
3. Mangofits about as well
4. Applethe original

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