Heidelberg Punch, or Hebe's Cup

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. Brandy + sherrytop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,209 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).

2. Cucumber + lemontop 9% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,067 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

3. Cucumber + sherrytop 17% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together143 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).

4. Lemon + sherrytop 17% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,273 recipes

   Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

5. Lemon + sugartop 18% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together53,532 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Lemon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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

Cucumber

Adds a fresh, mild vegetal aroma and light flavour to the punch.

Sugar

Adds sweetness and balances the acidity of the lemon and wine.

Claret

Forms the wine base, supplying most of the liquid, colour and flavour.

Sherry

Adds nutty, oxidised depth and extra body to the wine base.

Brandy

Raises the alcohol content and adds warm, fruity aroma.

Swap the cucumber

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, sugar, brandy, sherry):

1. Arrowrootfits better
2. Shallotfits better
3. Capsicumfits better
4. Cucumberthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, sugar, brandy, sherry. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.