Why it works: Mustard and horseradish match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,832 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Another Tartar Mustard
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the salt and mustard together until smooth.
Add equal parts of horseradish vinegar and chili vinegar.
Store in jars or bottles and seal tightly to keep for a long time.
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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Mustard + horseradishtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,832 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Horseradish + vinegartop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mustard
- Supplies the main pungent flavor and the thick, smooth body of the condiment.
- Salt
- Seasons the mixture and helps preserve it.
- Horseradish vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity and a sinus-clearing heat that cuts through the mustard.
- Chili vinegar
- Adds acidity and chili heat, balancing the mustard's sharpness.
The step that matters
Seal the jars tightly for storage. Air exposure lets the mixture oxidize and lose its sharp flavor over time. A tight seal keeps air out and helps the condiment stay fresh for longer.
“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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