Name: Fig Pudding
Ingredients: 1 lb figs, finely chopped; 3 tablespoons sugar; 5 lb breadcrumbs; a little nutmeg; 6 oz suet; 1 egg; milk (if necessary); additional figs (for lining the mould)

Why it works: Fig and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 510 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓

Fig Pudding

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

Cut two figs into small pieces and line the bottom of a greased mould.

Make the pudding

In a bowl, combine the chopped figs, sugar, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, suet, and egg.
Add milk if the mixture is too dry.
Pour the mixture into the prepared mould.

Steam and serve

Steam for 3 hours.
Serve with sweet sauce.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Fig + nutmegtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together510 recipes

Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
Fig + milktop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,026 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Nutmeg + milktop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together14,685 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Fig + sugartop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,241 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together24,744 recipes

Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Nutmeg and egg 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

Figs: Add moisture, natural sweetness and fruity flavour to the pudding.
Breadcrumbs: Provide the bulk and structure that holds the pudding together.
Suet: Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and tender as it cooks.
Egg: Binds the mixture so it sets firm after steaming.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps balance the richness of the suet.