Mayonnaise Dressing

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. Mustard + celerytop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,169 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

2. Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together16,012 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

3. Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,067 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together15,430 recipes

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

5. Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together27,814 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Egg yolks

Emulsify the oil into the mixture and set the sauce into a thick, smooth body.

Salad oil or melted butter

Supplies the fat that, dispersed in droplets, gives mayonnaise its rich texture.

Mustard

Helps hold the oil and water phases together, stabilizing the emulsion.

Vinegar

Adds acidity for sharp flavor and thins the sauce to a cream-like consistency.

The step that matters

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, mustard, sugar, butter, vinegar, pepper):

1. Tarragonfits better
2. Capersfits better
3. Cinnamonfits better
4. Celerythe original

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