Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Kale

Top flavour pairings and recipes for kale, according to analysis of thousands of recipes.

Kale instantly conjures the embrace of chlorophyll and the kiss of cabbage, yet its initial bitterness is only the opening note. Beneath lies a tapestry of delicate black pepper, hints of sulfur, and the pungent aroma of mustard. These are the notes that lend it such remarkable, resonant depth. And the epicurean alchemy begins when we seek out pairings that allow these notes to truly sing.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our findings reveal, for instance, how broth's glutamic tones can enrich kale, or how anchovy's saline notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the fresh leafiness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. vegetal, acidic, 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 Flavour Code

To understand how flavour notes harmonise, we analysed more than 50,000 popular ingredient combinations. By exploring these pairings, we identified specific flavour notes that frequently occur together, indicating they share a harmonious relationship.

The Flavours That Harmonise With Leafy Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of chlorophyll is strongly associated with the flavour of brine. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a briney flavour, such as anchovy, when pairing with the green notes of kale.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing kale with anchovy.

Harmonious Flavours Of Kale

Just as our analysis revealed that chlorophyll and briney flavour notes harmonise well, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in kale. For instance, the cabbagy flavours of kale are strongly associated with rooty and piney accents.

The accents linked to the various aromas of kale can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of broth offers many of the aroma accents complementary to kale, including glutamic and proteolytic aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of broth has many of the of the features that are complementary to kale, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Kale With Broth

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

What To Drink With Kale

The saline notes in pecorino make it a perfect pairing with kale. Likewise, the glutamic flavours in sake create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of kale below.

Which Cheese Go With Kale?

Choose cheese that awaken its sulfurousness or awaken its fresh leafiness. Pecorino Romano and feta offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Parmesan add a gentle, oniony brightness, while cotija introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace cheese that harmonise with kale's greenness. The addition of fontina, with its subtle saline notes, can complement the chlorophyll beautifully, while blue cheese lends a savoury richness.

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., Kale), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.