Egg-nog

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. Rum + nutmegtop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together646 recipes

   Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).

2. Milk + rumtop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together967 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

3. Sugar + rumtop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together2,908 recipes

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

4. Milk + nutmegtop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together14,685 recipes

   Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

5. Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together24,744 recipes

   Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Egg and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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

Eggs

Yolks add richness and body, and their emulsifiers help keep the drink smooth.

Milk or cream

Forms the liquid base and provides moisture and richness.

Sugar

Adds sweetness and balances the alcohol and richness.

Rum or brandy

Adds aroma and flavor and helps carry the spice notes.

Swap the nutmeg

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, milk, sugar, rum):

1. Cinnamonfits better
2. Nutmegthe original
3. Gingerfits less well
4. Allspicefits less well

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