Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Lecithin

Analysing hundreds of thousands of recipes uncovers lecithin's optimal flavour pairings.

Lecithin is defined by the unmistakable flavours of bean and butter, but beneath its bitterness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as animal fat, starch, and salt, that give it remarkable depth. The key to finding the perfect pairing for lecithin is understanding how these notes harmonise.

To map these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, breaking each one down across 150 flavour dimensions, identifying which notes complement and contrast. Our analysis reveals, for example, how activated charcoal's graphitic tones ground lecithin, and how celery's selinon notes create a surprising synergy with its starchy aroma.

An ingredient's flavour stems from its core characteristics, such as vegetal, maillard, or nectarous, combined with layers of subtle flavour notes (outer bars). For a balanced dish, pair ingredients with a variety of core flavours, and choose complementary aroma notes for harmony.

The Art of Flavour Pairing

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.

Our analysis shows that the flavour of bean is strongly associated with the flavour of celery. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a celery-like flavour, such as celery, when pairing with the beany notes of lecithin.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing lecithin with celery.

Harmonious Flavours Of Lecithin

Just as our analysis highlighted that bean and pencil-lead flavours combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in lecithin. Similarly, the buttery notes of lecithin frequently pair with cocoa and honeyed flavours.

The aroma accents associated with the various accents of lecithin can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of activated charcoal offers many of the aromas complementary to lecithin, including graphite accents. Because the flavour profile of activated charcoal has many of the of the features that are complementary to lecithin, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Lecithin With Activated Charcoal

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

What To Drink With Lecithin

The graphite notes in pomerol make it a perfect pairing with lecithin. Likewise, the graphite flavours in saumur champigny create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of lecithin below.