Food and Cooking

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All things culinary and cooking related. Share food! Share recipes! Share stuff about food, etc.

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The ingredient that changed your life (www.beehaw.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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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?

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[–] Talose 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

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

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I've been using schezuan pepper oil for the same thing, super easy to add a splash and get some intense flavor.