Name: Dumpling or Date Pudding
Ingredients: 1 lb flour; 1 lb breadcrumbs; 1 oz mixed spice; ½ lb currants; 2 lb sultana raisins; ½ lb suet; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ lb dates; 1 cup buttermilk

Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

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.

Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,075 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,721 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Currant + raisintop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together6,180 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).
Raisin + datestop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together358 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour + datestop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together675 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

Flour: Forms the main structure that holds the pudding together.
Breadcrumbs: Absorb moisture and give the pudding a tender, body-filled crumb.
Suet: Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and rich as it cooks.
Baking soda: Reacts with the buttermilk's acidity to produce gas that lightens the pudding.
Baking powder: Provides additional lift so the pudding rises and stays light.
Buttermilk: Its acidity activates the baking soda and moistens the dry ingredients.