Spiced Currants

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. Clove + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together14,189 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).

2. Allspice + clovetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together7,874 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

3. Allspice + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together5,536 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

4. Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,431 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).

5. Sugar + cinnamontop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together30,779 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Sugar and cinnamon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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

Red currants

Provide the fruit base and natural tartness that gives the preserve its body.

Granulated sugar

Sweetens the fruit and helps preserve it and thicken the syrup as it cooks.

Cider vinegar

Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the sweetness.

The step that matters

Swap the red currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (allspice, sugar, cider, vinegar, clove, cinnamon):

1. Applefits better
2. Quincefits better
3. Figfits better
4. Red currantthe original

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