Oil 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. Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,259 recipes

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

4. Cucumber + olivetop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together3,611 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

5. Onion + celerytop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together18,518 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

Cucumbers

Main vegetable; salting draws out water so the pickles stay crisp.

Coarse sea salt

Draws water out of the cucumbers and onions, firming their texture and seasoning them.

Small onions

Adds sharp, savory flavor and bulk to the pickle mixture.

Olive oil

Adds fat and richness, coating the vegetables and carrying spice flavor.

Cold vinegar

Adds acidity that preserves the pickles and gives them their tang.

White mustard seed

Contributes pungent, sharp flavor that deepens as the pickles sit.

The step that matters

Swap the white pepper

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

1. Capersfits better
2. Tarragonfits better
3. Garlicfits better
4. White pepperthe original

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