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herbbitter · floral · camphor · green · chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum leaf

A vegetable that smells like a florist. Thirty seconds in the pot, then out, or it turns to bitter mush.

on its own
0.0sour
0.0sweet
1.0savoury
3.0bitter
0.0umami
order · canon first

1 of these 12 are wild — theory says yes, nobody has cooked them. why →

12 pairings for Chrysanthemum leaf.

Soy sauce

classic

Fermented salt is the standard counterweight to a leaf this aggressively bitter.

Tofu

common

Bland soft protein takes the floral bitterness without competing for space.

Roasty fat coats the leaf so the bitterness registers late instead of first.

Mirin

common

Sweetness is the standard Japanese lever against bitterness. Nothing subtle about it.

Garlic

common

Korean namul treatment: sulfur, sesame, salt, and the bitterness reads as depth.

Scallop

uncommon

Sweet raw shellfish against a floral bitter green; no dressing needed at all.

Two bitters from different families; the citrus supplies the acid the leaf lacks.

Gin

rare

Botanical bitterness on botanical bitterness. Infuse cold or it goes vegetal.

Pear

wild

Watery floral sweetness under a floral bitter leaf. Nobody serves it; nothing objects.