Cold Catsup

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.

1. Horseradish + mustardtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,832 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

2. Celery + mustardtop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,169 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

3. Tomato + celerytop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

4. Pepper + celerytop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together16,012 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

5. Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,259 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ripe tomatoes

Provide the main body, moisture and sweet-tart flavour of the ketchup.

Vinegar

Adds acidity that gives the ketchup its tang and helps keep it stable in the fridge.

Onions

Add savoury depth and aromatic flavour as they break down into the sauce.

Whole mustard seed

Adds a sharp, pungent bite and a little texture to the sauce.

Grated horseradish

Contributes a sharp, pungent heat that mellows somewhat with time.

Swap the cinnamon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, onion, horseradish, pepper, celery, mustard, vinegar):

1. Tarragonfits better
2. Capersfits better
3. Dillfits better
4. Cinnamonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, onion, horseradish, pepper, celery, mustard, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.