Why it works: Cucumber and olive match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,611 recipes. Both carry 2-methylbutyl acetate, which smells fruit. The science ↓
Dressed Cucumbers
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut cucumbers into lengths of about 1 inch and remove the rind.
Pare the cucumbers into thin ribbons until the watery part is reached; discard the watery part.
Season and serve
Sprinkle the ribbons with cayenne and coarse sea salt, then let them drain for a little while.
Arrange the drained ribbons lightly in a clean dish.
Drizzle with olive oil mixed with chili vinegar or equal parts of chili and common vinegar.
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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Cucumber + olivetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
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Cucumber + vinegartop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,734 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyl acetate (fruit).
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Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
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Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Cucumber + peppertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,991 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
- Cucumbers
- Provide the crisp, watery body of the salad once the seedy core is discarded.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws out moisture from the cucumber ribbons so they drain and season evenly.
- Olive oil
- Carries flavor and adds richness that coats the cucumber ribbons.
- Chili vinegar
- Adds acidity and sharpness that cut through the oil and brighten the cucumber.
The step that matters
Pare to the watery part and discard it. Cucumber flesh near the core holds more water and seeds that dilute the dressing and make the salad soggy. Paring only to where the watery part begins keeps the ribbons firm and crisp.
Swap the cucumber
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, olive, vinegar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Mustardfits about as well
- Cucumberthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, olive, vinegar. 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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