Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Old Cuban

Top flavour pairings and Old Cuban recipes, revealed through the hidden methmatics of flavour.
Old Cuban immediately conjures the evocative embrace of caramel and the bracing kiss of molasses, but beneath its sourness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as mint, oak, and hints of vanilla that contribute remarkable depth. Understanding how these layered flavours work together is the secret to unlocking truly exceptional pairings.
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 findings reveal, for instance, how sesame seed's sesamol tones can resonate with Old Cuban, or how wasabi powder's brassica notes create an unexpectedly harmonious bridge with the warm sweetness.
Flavour Profile Of Old Cuban Across 150 Dimensions Of Flavour
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Old Cuban: Caramel, Molasses, Menthol, Vanillic, Oaky, Yeasty, Honeyed, Cinnamon, Clove, Gentian, Maple, Malic, Poivre, Charred, Resinous, Raisin, Proteolytic, Tannic, Glutamic, Sugary, Balsam, Grapefruit, Brettanomyces, Cherry, Tobacco, Allspice, Chestnut, Cedar, Maltol, Toasted, Leather
An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like spice, acidic, and herbal, combined with its unique aroma notes (outer bars). When pairing ingredients, aim to include a broad variety of core characteristics for a balanced dish. And choose aroma notes that complement each other for a harmonious combination.
Flavour Pairing Method
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 Caramel Notes
Strength of Association Between Flavours
The flavours most associated with caramel notes are: Brassica, Rosemary, Peppercorn, Sage, Petrichor, Camphor, Chanterelle, Mustard, Grassy, Bay leaf, Leafy, Dried Porcini, Ferrous, Eucalyptus, Thyme.
Our analysis shows that the flavour of caramel is strongly associated with the flavour of cabbage. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a cabbagy flavour, such as wasabi powder, when pairing with the caramel aromas of Old Cuban.
The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing Old Cuban with wasabi powder.
Harmonious Flavours Of Old Cuban
Just as our statistical analysis showed that caramel and cabbagy flavours are often combined, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour accents present in Old Cuban. For instance, the molasses flavours of Old Cuban are strongly associated with allspice-like and sesame notes.
The aromas complementing the various aroma notes of Old Cuban can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.
Flavour Profile Of Old Cuban And Its Complementary Flavour Notes
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Old Cuban: Caramel, Molasses, Menthol, Vanillic, Oaky, Yeasty, Honeyed, Cinnamon, Clove, Gentian, Maple, Malic, Poivre, Charred, Resinous, Raisin, Proteolytic, Tannic, Glutamic, Sugary, Balsam, Grapefruit, Brettanomyces, Cherry, Tobacco, Allspice, Chestnut, Cedar, Maltol, Toasted, Leather
Matching Flavour Profiles
The flavour profile of sesame seed offers many of the accents complementary to Old Cuban, including sesame and seedy aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of sesame seed has many of the of the features that are complementary to Old Cuban, they are likely to pair very well together.
Prominent Flavour Notes Of Sesame Seed Are Represented By Longer Bars
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Sesame seed: Sesame, Almond, Caramel, Seedy, Toasted, Buttery, Coffee, Hazelnut, Honeyed, Cocoa, Yeasty, Hay, Charred, Grassy, Coconut, Sugary, Molasses, Maple, Proteolytic, Oxidized, Vanillic, Chlorophyll, Ginger, Walnut, Wheat, Maltol, Glutamic, Oleic
The chart above shows the unique profile of sesame seed across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with Old Cuban.
Recipes That Pair Old Cuban With Sesame Seed
Linked Flavour Notes
Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of Old Cuban, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.
Old Cuban's Harmonious Flavours And Complementary Ingredients
Old Cuban's Strongest Flavours
Complementary Flavours
Ingredients with Complementary Flavours
Flavour groups:
Nectarous
Acidic
Floral
Herbal
Spice
Vegetal
Maillard
Earthy
Woody
Carnal
The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of Old Cuban, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the notes complementary to Old Cuban.
Prominent Pairings
Our analysis identifies dishes that pair well with Old Cuban and highlights the prominent ingredient combinations within these recipes. Key pairs include hot sauce and dark brown sugar offering robust sweetness, sesame oil and honey for sweetness, tomato ketchup and Shiraz for piperine depth, and molasses and cider vinegar for a complex acetic undertone. Explore these combinations to unlock Old Cuban's hidden complexity, reveal deep nuance, and elevate its vibrant character.
Ingredient Combinations Among Dishes That Pair With Old Cuban
Flavour groups:
Sour
Botanic
Herbal
Spice
Vegetal
Bitter
Umami
Which Spices Go With Old Cuban?
Choose spices that ground its sweetness or anchor its crisp tartness. Paprika and smoked paprika offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Chipotle chilli add a gentle, oniony brightness, while chilli powder introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.
Alternatively, embrace spices that harmonise with Old Cuban's pungency. The addition of espelette pepper, with its subtle hay-like notes, can complement the clove beautifully, while fennel lends a mild pepper 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., Old Cuban), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.
Explore More
Discover more ingredient profiles and expand your culinary knowledge. Each ingredient page offers detailed analysis of flavour profiles, pairing insights, and culinary applications.
The content on our analysis blog is semi-automated. All of the words were manually written by a human, but the content is updated dynamically based on the data.