Perfect Pairings & Recipes for
Vegan XO Sauce
Top flavour pairings and recipes for vegan XO sauce, according to analysis of thousands of recipes.
Vegan XO sauce instantly conjures the embrace of glutamate and the bracing kiss of garlic, but beneath its umaminess lies a complex symphony of subtle flavour notes, such as chanterelle, brine, and hints of protease that give it remarkable depth. And the artistry of the kitchen begins when we seek out partners that allow these notes to truly sing, to harmonise in unexpected and delightful ways.
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 lovage's selinon tones carry vegan XO sauce, and how dashi RDX's glutamic notes create a surprising synergy with its pungent aroma.
Flavour Profile Of Vegan XO Sauce Across 150 Dimensions Of Flavour
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Vegan XO sauce: Allicin, Glutamic, Fungus, Proteolytic, Saline, Caramel, Seaweed, Capsicum, Onion, Molasses, Bean, Capsaicin, Sesame, Porcini, Oceanic, Resinous, Oxidized, Koji, Smoky, Honeyed, Maple, Lactic, Acetic, Rice, Balsam, Brettanomyces, Cocoa, Coriander seed, Camphor, Ginger, Poivre, Yeasty, Charred, Sugary
An ingredient's flavour profile is determined by its core characteristics (e.g. maillard, spice, and vegetal) 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.
Unlocking Flavour Combinations
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 Garlic Notes
Strength of Association Between Flavours
The flavours most associated with garlic notes are: Ferrous, Bovine, Poultry, Proteolytic, Glutamic, Fatty, Charred, Gamey, Porcine, Fishy, Oceanic, Saline, Chanterelle, Mossy, Oyster.
Our analysis reveals a strong connection between garlic and glutamate flavours. Since vegan XO sauce has a distinct garlicy flavour, try pairing it with the glutamic flavours of dashi RDX.
The recipe below provides inspiration for pairing vegan XO sauce with dashi RDX.
Harmonious Flavours Of Vegan XO Sauce
Just as our analysis revealed that garlic and ironny notes combine harmoniously, we can identify the full profile of flavours that harmonise with each of the flavour notes present in vegan XO sauce. For instance, the chanterelle notes of vegan XO sauce are strongly associated with walnut and oaky flavours.
The aromas complementary to the various aroma notes of vegan XO sauce can be seen highlighted in the pink bars below.
Flavour Profile Of Vegan XO Sauce And Its Complementary Flavour Notes
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Vegan XO sauce: Allicin, Glutamic, Fungus, Proteolytic, Saline, Caramel, Seaweed, Capsicum, Onion, Molasses, Bean, Capsaicin, Sesame, Porcini, Oceanic, Resinous, Oxidized, Koji, Smoky, Honeyed, Maple, Lactic, Acetic, Rice, Balsam, Brettanomyces, Cocoa, Coriander seed, Camphor, Ginger, Poivre, Yeasty, Charred, Sugary
Matching Flavour Profiles
The flavour profile of lovage offers many of the aroma accents complementary to vegan XO sauce, including celery and leafy aroma accents. Because the flavour profile of lovage has many of the of the features that are complementary to vegan XO sauce, they are likely to pair very well together.
Prominent Flavour Notes Of Lovage Are Represented By Longer Bars
Flavour wheel chart showing the dominant flavour notes of Lovage: Celery, Chlorophyll, Resinous, Rosemary, Grassy, Fennel, Sotolon, Basil, Thyme, Sage, Hay
The chart above shows the unique profile of lovage across 150 dimensions of flavour, while the recipes below offer inspiration for bringing these flavours together with vegan XO sauce.
Recipes That Pair Vegan XO Sauce With Lovage
Linked Flavour Notes
Looking at the aroma accents that are most strongly associated with the various flavours of vegan XO sauce, we can identify other ingredients that are likely to pair well.
Vegan XO Sauce's Harmonious Flavours And Complementary Ingredients
Vegan XO sauce's Strongest Flavours
Complementary Flavours
Ingredients with Complementary Flavours
Flavour groups:
Nectarous
Acidic
Herbal
Spice
Vegetal
Maillard
Earthy
Woody
Carnal
The left side of the chart above highlights the aroma notes of vegan XO sauce, along with the complementary aromas associated with each note. While the right side shows some of the ingredients that share many of the aroma notes complementary to vegan XO sauce.
What To Drink With Vegan XO Sauce
The bay leaf notes in carmenere make it a perfect pairing with vegan xo sauce. Likewise, the leafy flavours in carrot juice create a match made in heaven. Explore a variety of ingredients below that beautifully complement the unique character of vegan xo sauce below.
Which Herbs Go With Vegan XO Sauce?
Choose herbs that awaken its starchyness or anchor its fermented aroma. Lovage offers vibrant, clean counterpoints, its verdant freshness lifting the palate. Parsley add a gentle, oniony brightness, while coriander introduces a sophisticated, anise-tinged elegance.
Alternatively, embrace herbs that harmonise with vegan XO sauce's salinity. The addition of chives, with its subtle hexenal notes, can complement the brine beautifully. Lemon thyme bridges earthiness and citrus zest, while basil lends a fresh 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., Vegan XO sauce), 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.