Tomato Sauce

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. Ginger + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,380 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

3. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together6,038 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

4. Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together17,451 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

5. Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,923 recipes

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

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

What each ingredient does

Ripe tomatoes

Provide the main body, moisture and bulk of the sauce as they cook down.

Vinegar

Adds acidity that gives the sauce its tang and helps preserve it.

Onions

Contribute savoury sweetness and aromatic depth as they soften during cooking.

Sugar

Balances the acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes and adds sweetness.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, pepper, vinegar, sugar, ginger, clove, cinnamon):

1. Capsicumfits better
2. Carrotfits better
3. Sweet potatofits better
4. Onionthe original

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