Why it works: Cinnamon and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,917 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Rice Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Combine water, rice, and cinnamon in a pot.
Cover and simmer until rice is tender.
Remove the cinnamon stick.
Sweeten to taste and add grated nutmeg.
Let it cool.
Finish and serve
Beat egg yolks with white wine in a bowl, then mix well.
Stir the egg mixture into the rice over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent curdling.
Once thickened and boiling, remove from heat.
Continue stirring until serving.
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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Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,917 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Rice + cinnamontop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,137 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Rice + nutmegtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Cinnamon + sugartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together30,779 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cinnamon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 30,779 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
- Rice
- Cooks down into tender grains that thicken the soup as it simmers.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the soup and give it a smooth, rich body when gently heated.
- White wine
- Adds acidity and a light fruity flavour that balances the sweetness.
- Cinnamon stick
- Infuses warm, aromatic spice into the water during simmering.
The step that matters
Stirring the egg mixture into the rice. Egg yolks can scramble and curdle when they meet hot liquid too quickly. Low heat and constant stirring let them warm gradually and thicken the soup smoothly.
“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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