Salad 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 + vinegartop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,067 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

2. Pepper + mustardtop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together15,430 recipes

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

3. Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together27,814 recipes

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

4. Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together20,806 recipes

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

5. Mustard + sugartop 19% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together8,424 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

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

What each ingredient does

Eggs

The raw egg binds and thickens the dressing, while the chopped hard boiled eggs add body and texture.

Vinegar

Provides the sharp acidity that gives the dressing its tang.

Salad oil

Adds fat that carries flavor and gives the dressing a smooth, rich mouthfeel.

White sugar

Balances the acidity of the vinegar with a touch of sweetness.

Made mustard

Adds sharp aroma and flavor, and helps emulsify the oil and liquids.

Swap the mustard

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

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Mustardthe original
3. Cucumberfits less well
4. Cabbagefits less well

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