Name: Cough Syrup
Ingredients: 5 cents worth of boneset; 5 cents worth of life everlasting; 5 cents worth of spignet; 5 cents worth of comfrey; 5 cents worth of licorice; 10 cents worth of gum arabic; 10 cents worth of honey; ½ cup of white sugar; ½ gallon of water

Why it works: Honey and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,932 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓

Cough Syrup

Ingredients

Directions

Boil the boneset, life everlasting, spignet, comfrey, and licorice in ½ gallon of water.
Strain the mixture and add the gum arabic, honey, and white sugar.
Boil again until well combined.
You will have about 3 pints of syrup.
Take a wine glass full (about ⅓ cup) for a dose three or four times a day.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

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.

Honey + sugartop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,932 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Licorice + sugartop 22% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together76 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Licorice + honeytop 35% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together11 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).