Imitation Lemon Pie

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. Bread + eggtop 13% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together22,662 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).

2. Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together53,532 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

3. Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together44,316 recipes

   Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

4. Bread + lemontop 20% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together8,445 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

5. Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together122,807 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

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

What each ingredient does

Bread or cracker crumbs

Thicken the filling and give it body as they absorb liquid.

Eggs

Set when baked, giving the pie its structure and custard-like texture.

Sugar

Sweetens the filling and balances the sharp lemon flavour.

Tartaric acid

Adds tartness that brightens the lemon flavour.

Lemon extract

Provides the lemon aroma and flavour.

The step that matters

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, sugar, egg):

1. Vanillafits better
2. Datesfits better
3. Figfits better
4. Lemonthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against bread, sugar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.