Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Egg-nog
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beat the egg yolk and sugar until light and thick.
Beat the egg white to a stiff foam.
Mix the yolk mixture and egg white together.
Assemble and serve
Pour into a glass and add rum or brandy.
Stir or shake to combine, then add grated nutmeg.
Use whipped cream instead of milk if desired.
Add more sugar and rum to taste.
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.
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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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Rum + nutmegtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together646 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
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Nutmeg + creamtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Sugar + rumtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,908 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Egg yolk
- Adds richness and body, and its fats give the drink a smooth, creamy texture.
- Egg white
- Whipped to a stiff foam, it adds lightness and a frothy texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the drink and helps the yolk beat to a light, thick texture.
- Rum or brandy
- Adds aroma and warmth, and its alcohol gives the drink a sharper finish.
The step that matters
Beat the egg white to a stiff foam. Egg white proteins unfold and trap air when beaten, forming a stable foam. If under-beaten, the foam stays loose and the drink loses lightness; if over-beaten, it turns dry and grainy.
“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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