Tell me about that one ingredient, that when discovered, it opened your mind to a whole new world of flavor possibilities!
For me, the first to come to mind is Worcestershire sauce. I’m talking about way back in my youth. It was my first introduction to what we now call umami. When I noticed my mom put it in her meatloaf I began experimenting. At the time I was just blown away by how much it changed things. I even used to put it in my Top Ramen I was so obsessed lol. More recently, dukkah. Trader Joe’s is correct when they say to take bread, dip it in olive oil, and then dukkah. So tasty!!
What about you?
Tofu! I never got a chance to try it growing up, but when I started reducing my meat I decided to give it a try. It is possibly the most versatile ingredient in my kitchen, and by far the easiest way to get protein.
You can whip up a tofu scramble, throw it in smoothies/shakes, cube it and toss it in soup, fry it and serve with sauce over veggies, bake it with an herb coating to toss with pasta, even bread it to make katsu sandwiches! It takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with, so it isn’t hard to make the dish taste the same as if it had meat, and it is much more forgiving.
The trick is to get firm or extra firm tofu instead of medium or soft. Some people like super smooth tofu, but I find more people prefer the more solid versions.
An honorable mention also goes to nutritional yeast. It is often that ‘something extra’ missing from dishes that have a cheesy taste to them, and is a great option to add depth to dishes if you are concerned about MSG for some reason. I like to toss some on my popcorn to make it taste like white cheddar, but you can use it in any savory dish. It is also an excellent source of B12, which a majority of people are deficient in.
Fresh lemon juice / zest. Just wow.
And in conjunction with that, though not an ingredient: microplane. Great for zest, hard cheese, (Frozen) ginger,…
Lately, honey fermented garlic. It was a giant leap forward for my stir fry and sauce game. Starting to branch out into more honey-based ferments.
Better Than Bouillon.
It’s basically the same for me! I’d say anchovies/fish sauce in general. My first introduction was through Thai fish sauce, which I grew up with and learned how to use in Thai cooking. Then, I started cooking with anchovies in oil and Worcestershire sauce in what I viewed as their respective cuisines. At some point I understood the similar role these ingredients played in providing the umami element needed to complete a dish, and that made me feel more confident using them in a wider variety of foods and “across” cuisines as needed. Used in the appropriate amount, they won’t overpower a dish or turn it fishy; a little bit provides so much flavor!
Schezuan peppercorns. I’ve had the same packet for years because it takes so little to add a very unique, peppery numbness to any Asian dish. Literally grind up a pinch in a mortar and pestle with some msg and put it in any Asian cuisine to elevate all the other flavors dramatically
On a related note: pixian doubanjiang. It’s a spicy bean paste and a key ingredient in several well-known Sichuan dishes: hot pot, spicy poached fish, mapo tofu, ants climbing trees, etc
Ghost pepper flakes, finally I can make things properly spicy without using a ton of really expensive hot sauce.
These are easy to make too. I made a ghost pepper red sauce I dehydrated and pulverized to add a spicy salsa flake to any dish.
How did you go about dehydrating it?
Sorry for the delayed response. I spread the “Soup” (for a lack of better word) thinly on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. And place the sheets in the oven on a low heat for about 20 minutes
Chicken broth. I started buying the cheap bone in chicken at the grocery store. Toss the leftover bones/fat/tendons into a crock pot and toss in the vegetable bits you would have thrown away otherwise. Cook it on slow cook while you’re asleep and strain it in the morning. Now you have liquid flavour to add to rice, sauces, soups, etc., and it’s full of vitamins, too
A couple of my local groceries sell packed chicken feet, and I absolutely love them for stocks. They’re packed with gelatin and I end up with silky stocks that look like Jello in the fridge. Store rotisserie chickens are also great for stocks in my experience. I get a meal or few out of most of the meat, then you chuck the rest in a pot to turn into stock.
I think at least one of my local groceries also used to sell ox tail. Great for beef stock, but I think it got expensive after it became a trendy cut for some reason. I don’t remember how that happened, I guess people got in the know 🤔.
Not sure why it became trendy, but ox tail pho is some of the best food i’ve ever tried
