Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Sweet Cicely

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

Sweet cicely is defined by the unmistakable flavours of fennel and liquorice, but beneath its sweetness lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as sugar, resin, and honey, that give it remarkable depth. The key to finding the perfect pairing for sweet cicely 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 lobster's iodine-like tones ground sweet cicely, and how dashi's algaline notes create a surprising synergy with its sweet aroma.

An ingredient's flavour comes from its core characteristics, like herbal, nectarous, and floral, 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.

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 reveals a strong connection between fennel and seaweed flavours. Since sweet cicely has a distinct fennel flavour, try pairing it with the seaweedy flavours of dashi.

The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing sweet cicely with dashi.

Harmonious Flavours Of Sweet Cicely

Just as our analysis found that fennel and oceanic flavours are harmonious, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavours present in sweet cicely. For instance, the liquorice accents of sweet cicely are strongly associated with musky and cucumber notes.

The accents linked to the various accents of sweet cicely can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.

Matching Flavour Profiles

The flavour profile of lobster offers many of the notes complementary to sweet cicely, including oyster and seaweed notes. Because the flavour profile of lobster has many of the of the features that are complementary to sweet cicely, they are likely to pair very well together.

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

Recipes That Pair Sweet Cicely With Lobster

Linked Flavour Notes

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

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

Harmonies Of Sweet Cicely

Sweet cicely offers a range of distinct flavour notes, each with its own set of harmonising partners. Fennel notes pair especially well with ingredients that have the marine aroma of ocean and the marine brininess of oyster. While liquorice tones complement ocean notes and oyster's marine brininess. Here, we explore the many flavours that resonate with each note of Sweet cicely, revealing abundant possibilities for creative pairing.

Each Chord Connects Two Harmonising Flavour Notes

What To Drink With Sweet Cicely

The oceanic notes in jura make it a perfect pairing with sweet cicely. Likewise, the oyster flavours in sake create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of sweet cicely below.