Select two ingredients to explore their shared molecular compounds. The more compounds they share, the more likely they are to create harmonious pairings.
Click on any two ingredients from the panel to discover their molecular connections.
The science of flavor pairing was popularized by chefs like Heston Blumenthal and researchers behind the FlavorNet database, which catalogs thousands of flavor compounds across hundreds of ingredients. The insight is simple but powerful: ingredients that share volatile aromatic compounds tend to pair well together. Tools like Foodpairing.com exist but require paid accounts. This project brings the molecular pairing concept to an open, interactive, free web tool.
FlavorAlchemy lets you select two ingredients and instantly see their shared flavor compounds — the volatile organic molecules that make ingredients taste complementary. It shows a pairing strength score, lists the specific shared compounds, and suggests surprising but scientifically-backed pairings you might not have tried before. The data is derived from the FlavorNet and FlavorDB research databases, adapted into an interactive reference tool.
The app contains an embedded knowledge base of 80+ ingredients with their characteristic volatile flavor compounds (esters, terpenes, aldehydes, etc.) sourced from FlavorDB and FlavorNet research. When you select two ingredients, the algorithm: