Name: Pepper Pot
Ingredients: small pieces of any vegetables; pieces of smoked or salt beef; pieces of cold poultry; pieces of roast beef or mutton; 2 to 3 quarts of water; whole black pepper; allspice; mace; Jamaica pickles; coarse sea salt

Why it works: Pepper and allspice match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,395 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. 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.

Pepper + allspicetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together6,395 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Allspice + macetop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,189 recipes

Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,971 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Pepper + macetop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together12,257 recipes

Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
Beef + allspicetop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,940 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

Pepper and mace barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,257 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

Smoked or salt beef: Adds savory, meaty depth to the broth as it stews.
Cold poultry: Contributes tender meat that becomes flavorful as it simmers in the broth.
Roast beef or mutton: Adds richer meat flavor and body to the stewed soup.
Whole black pepper: Provides the sharp, pungent heat that defines this soup.