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Shiitake vs Thyme: shared flavor compounds

211 of 329 flavor compounds are shared (Jaccard 0.64) — the molecular basis for whether Shiitake and Thyme pair well or work as substitutes. Full side-by-side breakdown below.

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Two ingredients gives the full side-by-side breakdown; add a third to see a similarity matrix across all of them (up to 6).

211
Shared
236
Shiitake reported
304
Thyme reported
0.64
Jaccard

“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 211 shared shown

Each molecule in the middle is shared by both ingredients — the chemistry bridging Shiitake and Thyme. 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 211 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 0.15

The 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. Shiitake reads left, Thyme reads right.

6.0%
Herbal
13.0%
17.2%
Other
13.4%
6.0%
Sulfurous
2.5%
10.7%
Fruity
14.1%
1.4%
Woody
4.0%
10.2%
Green
8.0%
7.4%
Roasted
5.8%
1.9%
Savory
0.4%
1.9%
Caramel
0.7%
12.1%
Floral
13.0%
Shiitake ◀ ▶ Thyme

Shares are fractions of each ingredient’s labeled compounds (214 of 236 for Shiitake, 275 of 304 for Thyme) — 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 found

Real dishes from our 610K+ curated recipe corpus that combine shiitake and thyme — proof the pairing works in practice.

Shared compounds

211 of 329 total

These are the molecules both ingredients have in common — the chemistry behind why they pair. Grouped by chemical class; ★ marks compounds flagged as key aromas in published GC-O studies. Click any molecule for its identifiers (CAS, formula, PubChem CID), odor data, and every ingredient it’s found in.

Most perceptually potent shared compounds

140 of 211 shared are aroma compounds with a measured threshold

Odor threshold is the concentration at which a molecule becomes smellable — lower = more potent. These clear their threshold most easily, so they drive the shared aroma out of proportion to the raw shared count.

Showing the 6 most potent of 140 with measured thresholds. Sign in for the full ranked list.

Showing the 5 highest-impact of 211 shared compounds (key aromas first) — sign in for the full list, grouped by chemical class with key-aroma markers.

See 25 shiitake-only and 93 thyme-only compounds with Pro

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 shiitake's profile.

Cite this analysis
Plain text
Compound Kitchen (2026). Compound similarity analysis: Shiitake vs Thyme. https://compkitchen.com/compare?a=shiitake&b=thyme. Accessed 2026-09-29.
BibTeX
@misc{compkitchen_compare_compound_similarity_analysis_shiitake_vs_thyme_2026,
  title  = {Compound similarity analysis: Shiitake vs Thyme},
  author = {{Compound Kitchen}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://compkitchen.com/compare?a=shiitake&b=thyme},
  note   = {Accessed: 2026-09-29}
}

Methodology DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19719459 · CC BY 4.0 · Citations are a request, not a requirement.