Thanksgiving Pudding

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. Raisin + curranttop 10% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together6,180 recipes

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

2. Bread + milktop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together11,466 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).

3. Bread + datestop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together100 recipes

   Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

4. Raisin + datestop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together358 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Sugar + raisintop 13% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together12,481 recipes

   Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

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

What each ingredient does

Eggs

Bind the mixture and set it into a firm, sliceable pudding as they cook.

Suet

Adds richness and fat, keeping the steamed pudding moist and tender.

Soft bread crumbs

Soak up the hot milk and give the pudding body and a light, tender crumb.

Sugar

Sweetens the pudding and adds depth alongside the dried fruit.

Raisins

Provide chewy sweetness and moisture throughout the pudding.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, milk, sugar, egg, raisin, dates, lemon):

1. Figfits better
2. Vanillafits better
3. Orangefits better
4. Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against bread, milk, sugar, egg, raisin, dates, lemon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.