Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Soy Sauce

Unlock the perfect flavour pairings for soy sauce according to data science. Explore unique recipes and discover the hidden mathematics of flavour.

Soy sauce conjures the embrace of molasses and the kiss of caramel, woven with delicate hints of glutamate, brine, and lactic acid. These are the notes that lend it such remarkable, resonant depth. And the alchemy of the kitchen begins when we seek out partners 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 exploration reveals, for instance, how the sulfurous, cabbagy dimethyl trisulfide in Savoy cabbage can carry soy sauce, and how allspice's pimenta notes forge a beautiful synergy with its robust sweetness.

An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. maillard, woody, and floral) 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 Molasses Notes

Our analysis shows that the flavour of molasses is strongly associated with the flavour of allspice. This suggests we should look for ingredients with a allspice-like flavour, such as allspice, when pairing with the molasses aroma accents of soy sauce.

The recipes below provide inspiration for pairing soy sauce with allspice.

Harmonious Flavours Of Soy Sauce

Just as our statistical analysis showed that molasses and allspice-like flavours are harmonious, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in soy sauce. E.g. the caramel flavours of soy sauce are often used with cabbagy and rosemary flavours.

The aroma accents complementing the various notes of soy sauce can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of Savoy cabbage offers many of the aromas complementary to soy sauce, including brassica and grassy accents. Because the flavour profile of Savoy cabbage has many of the of the features that are complementary to soy sauce, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Soy Sauce With Savoy Cabbage

Linked Flavour Notes

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

The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of soy sauce, 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 soy sauce.

What To Drink With Soy Sauce

The graphite notes in faugères make it a perfect pairing with soy sauce. Likewise, the rosemary flavours in les baux de provence create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of soy sauce below.

Which Fruit Go With Soy Sauce?

Choose fruit that lift its salinity or enrich its warm aroma. Red bell pepper and pear offer vibrant, clean counterpoints, their verdant freshness lifting the palate. Blackberry add a gentle, oniony brightness, while green apple introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.

Alternatively, embrace fruit that harmonise with soy sauce's earthiness. The addition of greengage, with its subtle citric notes, can complement the peat beautifully, while avocado lends a zesty 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., Soy sauce), analyse its detailed flavour profile, and accurately reveal its complementary flavours and perfect ingredient partners.