Leek vs Onion: shared flavor compounds
236 of 394 flavor compounds are shared (Jaccard 0.60) — the molecular basis for whether Leek and Onion pair well or work as substitutes. Full side-by-side breakdown below.
“Reported” counts reflect the compounds characterized for each ingredient across the studies and databases we aggregate — a measure of coverage, not an exhaustive census. Different analyses target different compound classes and methods, so read these as what has been characterized, not the total number of molecules present. Jaccard measures shared coverage, so it rewards overlap rather than highlighting the ratio differences that distinguish two ingredients.
Why they pair: shared-compound network
12 of 236 shared shownEach molecule in the middle is shared by both ingredients — the chemistry bridging Leek and Onion. Node color is chemical class and node size is perceptual potency (bigger = lower odor threshold, so it drives aroma at smaller amounts); a copper ring marks compounds flagged as key aromas in published GC-O studies. Zoom with the +/− buttons or a pinch, drag the background to pan, drag a node to pin it, click any molecule for its full profile.
Showing the 12 highest-impact of 236 shared compounds (key aromas first). Sign in for the full network, including the compounds unique to each ingredient.
Where they differ: aroma character
Profile distance 0.18The Jaccard above measures overlap; this compares each ingredient’s aroma-family mix side by side — the wider the gap between the two bars, the more that family sets the ingredients apart. Leek reads left, Onion reads right.
Shares are fractions of each ingredient’s labeled compounds (238 of 262 for Leek, 330 of 368 for Onion) — compositional lean, not concentration. Aroma labels come from our compound enrichment and cover most, but not all, characterized molecules.
Pro names the molecules behind each difference — the specific compounds in each aroma family that one ingredient has and the other doesn’t. Sign in to see them.
Published recipes using both
1 foundReal dishes from our 610K+ curated recipe corpus that combine leek and onion — proof the pairing works in practice.
Side-by-side ingredient comparison — including the unique compounds in each ingredient — is a Pro feature.
Try the pairing tools for full recipe-aware scoring, or explore leek's profile.
Cite this analysis
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Leek vs Onion. https://compkitchen.com/compare?a=leek&b=onion. Accessed 2026-09-29.
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_leek_vs_onion_2026,
title = {Compound similarity analysis: Leek vs Onion},
author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://compkitchen.com/compare?a=leek&b=onion},
note = {Accessed: 2026-09-29}
}
Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.