Bordeaux Sauce

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. Mustard + celerytop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,169 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

2. Mustard + allspicetop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,928 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

3. Mustard + turmerictop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together2,279 recipes

   Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

4. Turmeric + allspicetop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together629 recipes

   Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

5. Cabbage + mustardtop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,645 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

Green tomatoes

Provide the bulk and tart body of the sauce as they soften during boiling.

Cabbage

Adds bulk and mild vegetable body that breaks down into the sauce during cooking.

Onions

Contribute savory depth and sweetness that mellows as they cook down.

Vinegar

Provides the acidity that gives the sauce its sharp, preserving tang.

Brown sugar

Adds sweetness that balances the acidity of the vinegar and tomatoes.

Swap the tomato

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cabbage, onion, sugar, mustard, turmeric, celery, allspice):

1. Horseradishfits better
2. Turnipfits better
3. Broccolifits better
4. Tomatothe original

Fit is the average pairing score against cabbage, onion, sugar, mustard, turmeric, celery, allspice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.