Bordeaux 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. Mustard + celerytop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,169 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

2. Mustard + allspicetop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,928 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

3. Cabbage + mustardtop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,645 recipes

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

4. Tomato + celerytop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

5. Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together16,012 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

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

What each ingredient does

Chopped cabbage

Forms the bulk of the relish and provides a crisp, tender texture as it cooks.

Chopped green tomatoes

Adds tartness and body, helping the sauce thicken as it cooks down.

Whole white mustard

Adds pungency and a sharp bite that mellows during cooking.

Sugar

Sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar and tomatoes.

Vinegar

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

Turmeric

Gives the sauce its yellow colour and a mild, earthy flavour.

Swap the tomato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cabbage, mustard, sugar, vinegar, celery, pepper, allspice):

1. Horseradishfits better
2. Radishfits better
3. Broccolifits better
4. Tomatothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cabbage, mustard, sugar, vinegar, celery, pepper, allspice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.