After the first bite, the Mystery Recipe Contest judge has detected cumin, red pepper flakes, and lemon grass in the winning dish  These seasonings have a tendency to be potent, producing distinct flavors
Since the quantity of any seasoning in a recipe depends directly on how potent that seasoning tastes in the dish, the judge has determined that the dish contains cumin, lemon grass, and red pepper flakes, in order of decreasing relative quantity
Recipes that contain cumin generally contain other spices that are more potent.