Why it works: Banana and pineapple match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 733 recipes. Both carry ethyl isobutyrate, which smells fruity, ethereal. The science ↓
Fruit Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Peel and slice equal quantities of apples, bananas, pineapple, and oranges.
Sprinkle the fruit with coarsely ground pine kernels and almonds.
Serve with oilless mayonnaise dressing garnished with candied cherries.
Avoid using tinned fruits for this salad.
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.
-
Banana + pineappletop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together733 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Pine + almondtop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together176 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Apple + bananatop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together435 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Apple + pineappletop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together530 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Pineapple + orangetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,664 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Apples
- Provide crisp texture and fresh, tart flavour that balances the sweeter fruits.
- Bananas
- Add soft texture and natural sweetness to the salad.
- Pineapple
- Adds juiciness and bright sweet-tart flavour.
- Oranges
- Contribute juice, citrus acidity and aroma to the fruit mix.
- Almonds
- Add crunch and a nutty flavour against the soft fruit.
- Oilless mayonnaise dressing
- Adds moisture and a creamy, tangy coating to the fruit.
The step that matters
Peel and slice the fruit just before serving. Cut apples and bananas darken quickly because enzymes in the flesh react with oxygen in the air, so slicing close to serving keeps the salad looking fresh. Using equal quantities of each fruit also keeps the flavours balanced.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (apple, banana, pineapple, orange, pine):
- Almondthe original
- Chestnutfits about as well
- Pistachiofits about as well
- Walnutfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against apple, banana, pineapple, orange, pine. 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.
More fruit salad recipes
You might also like
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Salad Dressing491 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipes
Cold Slaw160 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.