Plum Pudding

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. Cinnamon + nutmegtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together11,917 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

2. Raisin + flourtop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together9,075 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

3. Raisin + cinnamontop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together5,390 recipes

   Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

4. Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together5,377 recipes

   Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).

5. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

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

What each ingredient does

Molasses

Adds dark sweetness and moisture, and deepens the color and flavor of the pudding.

Sour milk

Its acidity reacts with the baking soda so the pudding rises and stays tender.

Suet or butter

Adds fat, which keeps the pudding moist and rich in texture.

Flour

Provides the structure that holds the pudding together as it steams.

Baking soda

Reacts with the acidic sour milk and molasses to produce gas that lightens the pudding.

Swap the currant

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (molasses, milk, butter, raisin, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg):

1. Vanillafits better
2. Figfits better
3. Coconutfits better
4. Currantthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against molasses, milk, butter, raisin, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.