Why it works: Walnut and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,769 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Water Souchet
Ingredients
Directions
Bruise the walnuts slightly and place them in a jar with salt and vinegar.
Let them sit for 8 days, stirring daily.
Drain the liquid into a saucepan.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer gently for 40 minutes.
Once cooled, strain the mixture into small bottles.
Cork the bottles tightly, cover with melted wax, and store in a cool, dry place.
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.
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Walnut + vinegartop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,769 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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