Perfect Pairings & Recipes forPesto

Top flavour pairings and pesto recipes, revealed through the hidden mathematics of flavour.

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Flavour Analysis

Pesto’s first impression is commanding aromatic herbalness, but oleic acid, garlic and cut grass soon reveal the profile beneath. A kombu dashi note supplies savoury richness, while a lemon note threads in zesty aroma, and butter and black pepper notes give the profile its more complex finish.

Dominant Flavour Families

Herbal / Herbaceous
Vegetal
Sharp
Earthy
Maillard

Flavour profile of pesto

150 dimensions grouped into 10 flavour families. Bar length shows relative prominence. Scale 0–10.

Basilicum

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Strongest notes

Pesto

BasilicumHerbal

pesto9.2

Aromatic, sweet-spicy herbal aroma typical of fresh basil. Strong in pesto.

Unlocking Flavour Combinations

To understand how flavours interact, we compiled the ingredient pairings used in more than 30,000 recipes. We then analysed these pairings, identifying the specific flavour notes that frequently appear together.

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