Why it works: Peas and mint are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,137 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Peas, Green
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak the peas overnight in water with the baking soda.
In the morning, drain the water and place the peas in fresh water.
Cook and serve
Boil the peas for about 1 hour until tender, adding the sugar, salt, and mint.
When ready to serve, stir in the butter and season with pepper and salt.
Serve very hot as an accompaniment or garnish.
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 their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Peas + minttop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,137 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Mint + peppertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,372 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Peas + peppertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,331 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Peas + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,887 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Peas
- Form the main body of the dish and soften into a tender texture when boiled.
- Baking soda
- Raises the water's alkalinity during soaking, helping the peas soften more fully.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, giving the cooked peas a smooth mouthfeel.
- Sugar
- Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the savory flavors.
The step that matters
Boil the peas until tender. Peas must cook long enough for the starches to fully soften; undercooked peas stay firm and chalky. Adding salt during cooking seasons the peas throughout, and the baking soda from soaking helps them break down.
Swap the mint
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peas, sugar, butter, pepper):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Parsleyfits about as well
- Mintthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peas, sugar, butter, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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