Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Microgreens

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

Microgreens instantly conjure the evocative embrace of chlorophyll and the bracing kiss of cabbage, woven with delicate hints of grass, mustard, and black pepper, giving it remarkable depth. And the true alchemy of the kitchen begins when we seek out pairings that allow these notes to truly sing, to harmonise in unexpected and delightful ways.

To chart these harmonies, we analysed thousands of ingredients, each deconstructed across 150 distinct flavour dimensions, pinpointing the notes that best complement this ingredient’s profile. Our exploration reveals, for instance, how the pure, salty sodium chloride in fish sauce can ground microgreens, and how oyster's saline notes forge a beautiful synergy with its fresh leafiness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. herbal, vegetal, and spice) 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.

Flavour Pairing Method

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 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 oyster, when pairing with the green aromas of microgreens.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing microgreens with oyster.

Harmonious Flavours Of Microgreens

Just as our analysis revealed that chlorophyll and briney notes tend to pair together, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour accents present in microgreens. Similarly, the cabbagy notes of microgreens frequently pair with rooty and piney flavours.

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

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of fish sauce offers many of the accents complementary to microgreens, including saline and glutamic accents. Because the flavour profile of fish sauce has many of the of the features that are complementary to microgreens, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Microgreens With Fish Sauce

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

What To Drink With Microgreens

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

Which Vegetables Go With Microgreens?

Choose vegetables that awaken its greenness or resonate with its bright spice. Red chilli and jalapeño offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Poblano pepper add a gentle, oniony brightness, while tomato introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace vegetables that harmonise with microgreens's greenness. The addition of enoki mushroom, with its subtle glutamic notes, can complement the grass beautifully, while beetroot juice 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., Microgreens), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.