Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Chilli Oil

Top flavour pairings and chilli oil recipes, revealed through the hidden methmatics of flavour.

Fiery sensation and capsicum notes are at the forefront of chilli oil's flavour profile, but identifying its perfect partner requires exploring its subtle nuances. We must examine the complex interplay of notes within its bouquet, like sesame, garlic, and hints of black pepper. We need to understand how these notes affect each other and which complementary flavors they harmonise with.

To illuminate these harmonies, we embarked on an ambitious journey, analysing thousands of ingredients. Each was meticulously deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, allowing us to pinpoint precisely which notes complement in both classic and unexpected ways. Our exploration reveals, for instance, how the nutty, roasted 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline in ramen noodles can resonate with chilli oil, and how maple syrup's sotolon notes forge a beautiful synergy with its fiery sensation.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. spice, maillard, and herbal) enhanced by layers of subtle aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim for a mix of core traits to build balance, and select complementary aroma notes to create harmony.

The Secret Language of Flavour

To understand exactly which flavours harmonise, we compiled a database of over 50,000 ingredient pairings commonly used in cooking. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Capsaicin Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of chilli is strongly associated with the flavour of fenugreek. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a fenugreek flavour, such as maple syrup, when pairing with the hot aroma accents of chilli oil.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing chilli oil with maple syrup.

Harmonious Flavours Of Chilli Oil

Just as our analysis revealed that chilli and fenugreek flavours combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in chilli oil. For instance, the capsicum notes of chilli oil are strongly associated with briney and mustardy notes.

The aroma notes associated with the various notes of chilli oil can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of ramen noodles offers many of the aroma accents complementary to chilli oil, including seedy and starch aromas. Because the flavour profile of ramen noodles has many of the of the features that are complementary to chilli oil, they are likely to pair very well together.

The chart above shows the unique profile of ramen noodles across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with chilli oil.

Recipes That Pair Chilli Oil With Ramen Noodles

Linked Flavour Notes

Looking at the aroma notes that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of chilli oil, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of chilli oil, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aromas complementary to chilli oil.

What To Drink With Chilli Oil

The fenugreek notes in savagnin make it a perfect pairing with chilli oil. Likewise, the fenugreek flavours in château-chalon create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of chilli oil below.

Which Vegetables Go With Chilli Oil?

Choose vegetables that resonate with its pungency or resonate with its fiery sensation. Matzo offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Sweetcorn add a gentle, oniony brightness, while red cabbage introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with chilli oil's seediness. The addition of banana shallot, with its subtle garlicy notes, can complement the sesame beautifully. Yellow onion bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while shallot lends a pungent aroma.

How Flavonomics Works

We've pioneered a unique, data-driven approach to decode the intricate art of flavour pairing. Our goal is to move beyond intuition and uncover the science of why certain ingredients harmonise beautifully. This rigorous methodology allows us to provide you with insightful and reliable pairing recommendations.

Our analysis begins with over 50,000 carefully selected recipes from acclaimed chefs like Galton Blackiston, Marcello Tully, and Pierre Lambinon. This premium dataset ensures our model distils genuine culinary excellence and creativity.

Each ingredient from these recipes is deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, creating a unique numerical "flavour fingerprint." This quantification allows us to apply advanced analytical methods to identify complex patterns between flavour notes.

We identify popular ingredient combinations that frequently appear in our recipe database. Regression analysis is then performed on these pairings to statistically validate and pinpoint truly harmonious flavours.

These insights drive our predictive model, which allows us to take any ingredient (e.g., Chilli oil), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.