Why it works: Lemon and syrup are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,235 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Lemon Mould
Ingredients
Directions
Make the tapioca
Boil the tapioca with the lemon rind in the water until tender, then remove the lemon rind.
Add the golden syrup and lemon juice, and mix well.
Set and serve
Pour the mixture into a wetted mold.
Turn out when cold and serve.
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.
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Lemon + syruptop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,235 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tapioca
- Thickens and sets into a firm, jelly-like body as it cools.
- Golden syrup
- Adds sweetness and a rich, mellow flavour.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity and bright citrus flavour that balances the sweetness.
The step that matters
Boil the tapioca until tender. Tapioca starch must be fully cooked and swollen to become clear and set properly. If it is undercooked, it stays grainy or opaque and will not hold its shape when turned out.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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