French Pickles

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. Cucumber + mustardtop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,281 recipes

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

3. Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,067 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

4. Cucumber + celerytop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,745 recipes

   Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

5. Cucumber + vinegartop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,734 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

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

What each ingredient does

Cucumbers

Form the main body of the pickles and provide the crisp, watery texture.

Vinegar

Provides the sharp acidity that defines the pickle and helps preserve it.

Mustard seed

Adds a sharp, pungent flavor that stands up to the vinegar.

Celery seed

Adds a warm, savory aroma that rounds out the tang.

Salad oil

Adds fat that softens the sharpness of the vinegar and carries the spice flavors.

Swap the celery

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cucumber, vinegar, mustard):

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

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