Why it works: Mustard and chive match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 587 recipes mention both. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Tomato Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the tomatoes
Wipe the tomatoes and scald them in boiling water for 1 minute.
Drain on a cloth, carefully remove the stems and skin, and let cool.
Cut the tomatoes into thin slices and place them in a salad bowl.
Make and serve the dressing
In a basin, combine salt, pepper, and mixed mustard. Pour in the vinegar and salad oil, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
Just before serving, add the chopped chives or parsley to the dressing and pour it over the tomatoes.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Mustard + chivetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together587 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + chivetop 10% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together538 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the main body and juicy texture of the salad.
- Mixed mustard
- Emulsifies the oil and vinegar so the dressing holds together.
- Salad oil
- Adds fat and richness, carrying flavor through the dressing.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the tomatoes and balances the oil.
The step that matters
Let the tomatoes cool before slicing and dressing. Tomatoes that are still warm after scalding turn soft and release more water, which thins the dressing and makes the slices fragile. Cooling firms the flesh so the slices hold their shape.
Flavor stand-ins for the chive
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, vinegar, mustard, pepper):
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Lettucebetter flavor fit
- Horseradishbetter flavor fit
- Chivethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, vinegar, mustard, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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.
More tomato salad recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Tomato Bisque61 recipes
Cream Tomato Soup28 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.