Name: Plum Pudding, Excellent
Ingredients: 6 ounces finely-grated bread crumbs; 1 pound all-purpose flour; 1 pound finely-shredded beef suet; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ pound granulated sugar; ¾ pound stoned and chopped raisins; ¾ pound currants; 2 ounces candied lemon, cut into shreds; 2 ounces candied orange, cut into shreds; 2 ounces candied citron, cut into shreds; ¼ pound apples, pared, cored, and chopped; ½ ounce mixed spice (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg); ½ teaspoon finely-minced lemon rind; 5 eggs; ½ pint milk; ⅓ cup brandy; Powdered sugar for serving

Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

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.

Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,075 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Lemon + orangetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together10,634 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Raisin + curranttop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together6,180 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).
Bread + beeftop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,032 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
Raisin + orangetop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,684 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

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

What each ingredient does

Eggs: Bind the batter and add structure as they set during boiling.
All-purpose flour: Provides the main structure that holds the pudding together.
Beef suet: Adds fat and richness, keeping the pudding moist and tender.
Bread crumbs: Absorb liquid and lighten the dense batter, giving it body.
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness and helps give the pudding a soft, rich flavor.
Raisins: Add concentrated sweetness, chewy texture and moisture to the pudding.

The step that matters

Boiling the pudding. The pudding must be sealed tightly and kept at a steady boil in water for the full time so the batter sets evenly and cooks through. Too little water or a loose cover can let it dry out or turn heavy and undercooked in the center.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, flour, beef, sugar, raisin, lemon, orange):

Figfits better
Cranberryfits better
Vanillafits better
Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against bread, flour, beef, sugar, raisin, lemon, orange. 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.

Plum Pudding, Excellent