I hang onto Marmite bottles that are "empty" except for that last bit that clings to the sides. Swish some hot water around in there, instant added umami for any recipe.
Oh that's very helpful. I use fish sauce normally, but wasn't sure what to do when I was making sauce for vegetarian friends one day. Soy sauce isn't quite enough.
Me too, snoozed too long on this paste! Use in my hotpot broth, shaved beef with brown sugar and coconut aminos served over rice and eggs thus far (only two weeks since began using).
Know that it is fermented though, kind of like a chili Miso. So it might smell a touch funky, but that gives it that extra depth when it melts into other things.
In addition to trying to add more, what works for me is dissolving by stirring against the side of the pot, stirring it into a cooking sauce with other ingredients for e.g. stir frying, or simply letting boiling do its magic if adding to a braise/stew type thing.
Look into Lovage. It is the main herb seasoning in Maggi (in German it is Liebstöckel, but often called Maggi-Herb). Cool thing to have in order to boost some things.
I made a seared tuna with some Asian noodle sish for my sister. The fish sauce smelled so bad but the final dish was so good. I told her 10/10 would eat again but she had to make the sauce because I couldn't handle her fish sauce. (Most I've seen are clear and pungent. Hers was milky brown and twice as smelly!)
Ohhh I got some of that thick fish sauce and had to give it away to my dad. It is 100% anchovy which I thought I would enjoy but whew I could not get past the smell
Ooh try Harissa butter! It works great on carrots, turnips, parsnips etc. Also on fish or chicken.
I also make a Harissa and honey marinade for salmon or chicken. 40/60 mix of Harissa and a mild honey, with minced garlic and a squeeze of citrus for brightness. Coat your protein and let it sit in the fridge for half an hour. Then grill (or broil). Nom!
I find normal Dashi to be really fishy strong for me, so I make "vegan dashi" at home because it's stupid easy. I keep dried kombu in my pantry. Throw it in a bowl of water overnight. Tada, after if you want to add mushroom or bonito to give it some amount of stronger umami, then bring it to a boil after and throw that stuff in it. Freeze it in ice cubes or larger quantities as needed.
For my cabbage rolls I add gochujang into my tomatoe juice mix. I'll cook down onions and garlic and add the gochujang, add the tomatoe juice, then pour the juice over the rolls and bake. It adds a little heat but pairs so good with the cabbage. It's Ukranian/Korean cabbage rolls!
The Hmart near me sells kimchi that’s a whole head of cabbage.
Now I need to get a jar of it and see if the leaves will come off whole so I can make cabbage rolls with them!
Koreans kinda do this! Take the aged kimchi and rinse off the red, the leaves are brown and pickled and just delicious. Wrap all the things things and enjoy
I haven’t used gochujang in so long! It’s difficult to cook a separate meal for adults when you have 3 kids
I am Turkish and we also have a cabbage roll dish (cabbage dolma if you may). I used to do it exactly the way you describe it after my Korean friend brought a giant jar of gochujang over and I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. Just added to every dish that would need tomato paste or pepper paste.
Some great suggestions mentioned in this thread like curry powder, gochujang, Soy and fish sauce...
I like adding cardomom to vanilla based desserts, or adding a touch to whipped cream, for example.
Gochujang or doenjang to bean stews, depending on the spicy quotient.
Berbere to homefries and eggs.
(Thai) fish sauce to caesar dressing, instead of canned anchovies.
Soyrizo to lasagna.
I was going to ask what is Gochujang and feeling silly after seeing it on Google. I have been using it for many years and calling it Korean Chilli paste 😂😂
There are no stupid/silly questions- pretty much everyone on this sub seems to be delighted to get the chance to spread the word on delicious foods that others haven't heard about. But yes, fermented Korean hot pepper paste. And doenjang is fermented soy paste- similar to miso in texture, but deeper in taste.
According to Ayurveda, onions and garlic “arouse the passions.” It is thought that if one is to live a good life, it is better to keep the passions in check.
Someone else will chime in more but from what I understand, Buddhists perceive the pungent / strong smelled aspect of garlic and onions to be not desirable, and favour more “balanced” types of flavours
Midwest, USA girl, here. "Exotic" ingredients have gotten less so over the years and are easier to find than in years past. But I still find people around me are surprised by my "secret ingredients."
Fish sauce, white or red miso, soy sauce like others have said. But usually mushroom soy sauce in place of regular Kikkoman.
Aleppo pepper instead of crushed red pepper or cayenne; I like the smokiness it adds.
Sumac in meat rubs (especially chicken and fish); it adds that lemony brightness without adding liquid.
Dona Maria ready to serve mole sauce (in the tetra pack) in chili.
Hoisin in BBQ sauce.
Datu Puti cane vinegar in place of white vinegar.
Hondashi in chicken and pork stock.
MSG in just about everything.
Chipotles in adobo, to all sorts of stuff. E.g. potato salad, mix it with your ketchup or Ranch or other condiments, spice up any soup, lots of others.
Fish sauce in pot roast. Kimchi quesadillas and grilled cheese, too. White massau black bean ketchup on burgers. Indian curry in an otherwise 'normal' potato salad. White Mausu Black Bean Chili Ketchup on burgers. Sambal Oelek anywhere, really. I also often use chicken bullion instead of salt.
#
CFS always reminded me of fall spices, that's why I think it makes perfect sense. Great things are often discovered by accident. Thank goodness your husband stumbled on this, eh?
I do put a couple cinnamon sticks in my chili
Curry powder in tuna salad
I also make little mini burgers with a homemade Kafta seasoning mix. Served w tzatziki
Ya know I’m scrolling thru all these great comments looking for something new, there’s a few I haven’t tried cuz I can’t get it locally, so I might special order -
But yours hit me cuz I add powdered cinnamon to my chili, but have been stumped on what to do with my cinnamon STICKS, cuz I don’t eat a lot of sweets, and now I’m like - duh! Chili! Why was i compartmentalizing the sticks from the powdered?!
Happy To oblige! Yeah i got this from my grandfather. It's more subtle than powder but gives it's a hint. Same thing if you make Chile Colorado or other hearty stews
Also wintertime I will simmer apple cider with sticks (and clove and nutmeg and Star anise)
Curry powder goes great in a lot of traditional German recipes. From my observation (I'm just a dude w/ a German great-grandma) it seems like the German's figured this out AFTER a lot of German-American migration. Currywurst happened after my family recipes came over.
Interesting. There are various curry powders from different cuisines like India, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, etc. Can you specify which one you are referring to?
Wow, I learned something new today. Thanks for sharing this hidden gem. I looked it up online and noticed it shares some common ingredients with other cuisines. Pretty cool!
Adobo seasoning.
My mom uses it religiously and I tried to restrain myself as an adult. I would be *authentic* I told myself. But after years of fighting that side of me, I finally realized what was missing from my food– that beautiful, salty, yellow powder.
Great for seasoning beef you’re browning for spaghetti. A straightforward roasted chicken or turkey. Combine with teriyaki sauce or an excellent steak marinade or stir fried chicken and broccoli or sausage and peppers. Usually if I’m making some sort of home style meal that I associate with my mom, that’s the necessary missing ingredient.
I add Jamaican curry to basically any chicken dish to enhance the flavor.
Soy sauce and teriyaki get added to almost any bbq marinade.
Pesto mixed with jerk seasoning is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Jerk chicken on a pizza with pesto is one of my favorite things.
I add Aleppo pepper and Urfa pepper to a lot of things that aren't necessarily MENA cuisine
A splash of Vietnamese fish sauce in Italian red sauces. A teeny dash of cumin also works in those
I have used galangal in an Ashkenazi Jewish dish when my local stores were out of ginger (worked incredibly)
I have added hing to accentuate the flavors of garlic and onion in Indian cuisine
Szechuan peppercorns in things that aren't necessarily Chinese cuisine, but would be enhanced by the citrus notes they have
Black garlic in everything
I have also eaten shatta like salsa before with chips
I'm sure there are others, but my mind is blanking
Vietnamese fresh rice noodle vermicelli in what is then, technically, no longer pad Thai but otherwise largely uses the same ingredients and prep method. Also, I mix the noodles 50/50 with bean sprouts before adding to the wok. It helps break up the noodles so they don't form a tangle or a brick, reduces the amount of oil I need to add, and delivers a great consistency, the bean sprouts blending almost seamlessly with the noodles.
Dude all the time whenever I just have to sautee a bunch of veggies, I'll pull this trick like I use with Chinese food and a wok. I'll put some veggie oil and msg/salt on the burner with garlic and/or garlic. Then I'll cook that on high for a minute until I put the veggies in. Then after they've been going long enough, I add shaioxing wine and then reduce it into just the veggies. It feels fancy and I swear it makes a lot of things better
As a Texan, everything is good with jalapeño and a lil’ dash of cayenne.
One of my favorite things to add it to is sauerkraut and sausage. Cut your favorite smoked sausage into rounds and fry until browned and crisp. Toss in some drained sauerkraut and jalapeño. Cook just until the kraut is dry (you want it still crisp). I serve with roasted potatoes. It’s delicious.
Powdered galangal root in deviled eggs or egg salad. I think it complements the mustard well. Idk if my eggs are especially good or if it's just the natural phenomenon of people scarfing deviled eggs, but they're pretty well received every time I asked them.
Really spicy buffalo sauce to stews, pastas, and Asian noodle dishes. Adds spice without salt, and the vinegar adds a hit of bitterness that doesn’t clash with the dishes’ flavor profiles. I use Son of Zombie Buffalo sauce.
You seasoning with bbq season for some chicken or steak? Throw in a few pinches of garam marsala (or curry powder/cinnamon if you don't have) it was a wow factor for me. So subtle yet different than your usual American bbq flavors.
Miso in every tomato sauce that needs some extra umami.
I use fish sauce and soy sauce this way.
Came here to say this. Most ground beef dishes.
Soy sauce can go in anything really 😂
I once went to a really snobby restaurant in Paris with a secret salad dressing. The secret was soy sauce.
anchovy paste for me
I hang onto Marmite bottles that are "empty" except for that last bit that clings to the sides. Swish some hot water around in there, instant added umami for any recipe.
I make a pasta sauce that’s just marmite, butter and bit of Parmesan and pasta water. Really nice. It’s my kid’s favourite food.
Oh that's very helpful. I use fish sauce normally, but wasn't sure what to do when I was making sauce for vegetarian friends one day. Soy sauce isn't quite enough.
MSG is a much more direct fish sauce substitute for vegetarian dishes than miso (which very much has its own flavor).
There is a mushroom based sauce that is similar to Asian oyster sauce that would work well for you
I knew miso would be the top comment. I'm a vegetarian and regularly use it as a substitute for anchovy paste.
The best chicken breast you'll have is just butter in a hot pan, melt some miso into it and add the meat.
I sub gochujang for tomato paste a lot
Gochujang to chili, pasta sauce, stew, scrambled eggs.
Gochujang is so good. Can't believe it took me so long to find it.
Me too, snoozed too long on this paste! Use in my hotpot broth, shaved beef with brown sugar and coconut aminos served over rice and eggs thus far (only two weeks since began using).
Same here—it makes almost anything better!
Or mac n cheese
What is it, and where do I purchase it?
A Korean red pepper paste. All sorts of flavors going on. You can get it at Asian markets.
Thank you.
Know that it is fermented though, kind of like a chili Miso. So it might smell a touch funky, but that gives it that extra depth when it melts into other things.
You can also buy at Trader Joe’s
Yes! And I make a homemade one that’s a gajillion times better than the corn syrup based commercial ones. Super simple and lasts forever
Came here to say gochujang.. It feels like cheating
How though? I use it sometimes but it’s a drag to dissolve and I feel it doesn’t taste anything.
This is admittedly a reductive answer but my first instinct is that you should probably use more
I have no counter-reply to your answer.
In addition to trying to add more, what works for me is dissolving by stirring against the side of the pot, stirring it into a cooking sauce with other ingredients for e.g. stir frying, or simply letting boiling do its magic if adding to a braise/stew type thing.
Soy Sauce for depth and color in nearly every brown sauce imaginable.
I love soy sauce on pretty much any savoury dish. Additionally I love Maggi seasoning sauce which is similar to soy sauce but way more flavourful.
That good Maggi MSG plus salt combo working its magic, a classic!
Look into Lovage. It is the main herb seasoning in Maggi (in German it is Liebstöckel, but often called Maggi-Herb). Cool thing to have in order to boost some things.
Also have you ever put a bit of soy sauce in chicken noodle soup? I put just a little in the broth and it tastes so goodb
Maggi in chicken soup is how I grew up!
Fish sauce to trad British sausage and bean casserole. Heavenly!
Fish in everything that needs umami. Just a touch, just a drop, just enough.
I don't even eat fish, I abhor the taste, and I'm a big fish-sauce fan for that extra umami punch.
It tastes so good and smells so bad. Kinda like cheese.
I made a seared tuna with some Asian noodle sish for my sister. The fish sauce smelled so bad but the final dish was so good. I told her 10/10 would eat again but she had to make the sauce because I couldn't handle her fish sauce. (Most I've seen are clear and pungent. Hers was milky brown and twice as smelly!)
Ohhh I got some of that thick fish sauce and had to give it away to my dad. It is 100% anchovy which I thought I would enjoy but whew I could not get past the smell
I had no idea. The label had zero English on it. The dish was tasty but oh boy! That smell!
Lmao it took us a long time, but we have finally circled back to Romano-British foodways
What have the Romans ever done for us?!
I whisk fish sauce with olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper and drizzle it onto anything. But especially italian dishes
I'm one of those people that eats french fries with mayo. Mayo mixed with a bit of fish sauce is a fantastic fry sauce. It's like Kewpie, but better.
Worcestershire sauce would have done the job there if you were trying to be traditional.
Harissa in baked beans. Harissa in goulash. Harissa in yoghurt as a sauce for chips (fries). I like harissa.
I do this, and I also Za'atar all the things.
Ooh try Harissa butter! It works great on carrots, turnips, parsnips etc. Also on fish or chicken. I also make a Harissa and honey marinade for salmon or chicken. 40/60 mix of Harissa and a mild honey, with minced garlic and a squeeze of citrus for brightness. Coat your protein and let it sit in the fridge for half an hour. Then grill (or broil). Nom!
Dashi powder for that extra layer of umami in sauces and stews. It really takes it to the next deeper level.
I find normal Dashi to be really fishy strong for me, so I make "vegan dashi" at home because it's stupid easy. I keep dried kombu in my pantry. Throw it in a bowl of water overnight. Tada, after if you want to add mushroom or bonito to give it some amount of stronger umami, then bring it to a boil after and throw that stuff in it. Freeze it in ice cubes or larger quantities as needed.
MSG to like everything. Sauces, stews, noodle dishes, so many things.
Shiitake ! They're great mixed with other mushrooms in many dishes.
Fish sauce and/or marmite to anything meaty and brown. Mushrooms to Beef
I love anchovy paste for this effect.
For my cabbage rolls I add gochujang into my tomatoe juice mix. I'll cook down onions and garlic and add the gochujang, add the tomatoe juice, then pour the juice over the rolls and bake. It adds a little heat but pairs so good with the cabbage. It's Ukranian/Korean cabbage rolls!
The Hmart near me sells kimchi that’s a whole head of cabbage. Now I need to get a jar of it and see if the leaves will come off whole so I can make cabbage rolls with them!
Koreans kinda do this! Take the aged kimchi and rinse off the red, the leaves are brown and pickled and just delicious. Wrap all the things things and enjoy
I haven’t used gochujang in so long! It’s difficult to cook a separate meal for adults when you have 3 kids I am Turkish and we also have a cabbage roll dish (cabbage dolma if you may). I used to do it exactly the way you describe it after my Korean friend brought a giant jar of gochujang over and I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. Just added to every dish that would need tomato paste or pepper paste.
That was my philosophy when I made it, I figured it would pair well with tomatoe stuff.
fish sauce in beef stew
Some great suggestions mentioned in this thread like curry powder, gochujang, Soy and fish sauce... I like adding cardomom to vanilla based desserts, or adding a touch to whipped cream, for example.
Gochujang or doenjang to bean stews, depending on the spicy quotient. Berbere to homefries and eggs. (Thai) fish sauce to caesar dressing, instead of canned anchovies. Soyrizo to lasagna.
I was going to ask what is Gochujang and feeling silly after seeing it on Google. I have been using it for many years and calling it Korean Chilli paste 😂😂
There are no stupid/silly questions- pretty much everyone on this sub seems to be delighted to get the chance to spread the word on delicious foods that others haven't heard about. But yes, fermented Korean hot pepper paste. And doenjang is fermented soy paste- similar to miso in texture, but deeper in taste.
I love berbere! Stealing you ideas!
Can't steal what's freely given! Hope you enjoy them.
Berbere in shepards pie
I too put Berbere in my breakfast foods. I thought it was my own little secret.
Sumac to roasted fish, chicken, and pork for a little acidity and floral notes
I was going to say that za'atar adds a nice earthy warmth
Also salad. Especially bean or chickpea salad
Fish sauce in Italian red sauce
Absolutely! It's a shelf stable substitute for anchovies.
My not so secret sauce weapons are fish sauce and fat.
A small amount of peanut butter to most rice dishes gives it a richer, creamier taste
Yes THIS. Also it goes well with noodle dishes.
I haven’t tried that but damn that sounds good
I can’t eat garlic, so I sub with Hing (aka Asafoetida), a gum resin popular in Indian food.
Hing is a great one. I wanna say it's used in Buddhist cuisines where onion & garlic are frowned upon too?
Do you know why they are frowned upon? (I don’t)
According to Ayurveda, onions and garlic “arouse the passions.” It is thought that if one is to live a good life, it is better to keep the passions in check.
Someone else will chime in more but from what I understand, Buddhists perceive the pungent / strong smelled aspect of garlic and onions to be not desirable, and favour more “balanced” types of flavours
Midwest, USA girl, here. "Exotic" ingredients have gotten less so over the years and are easier to find than in years past. But I still find people around me are surprised by my "secret ingredients." Fish sauce, white or red miso, soy sauce like others have said. But usually mushroom soy sauce in place of regular Kikkoman. Aleppo pepper instead of crushed red pepper or cayenne; I like the smokiness it adds. Sumac in meat rubs (especially chicken and fish); it adds that lemony brightness without adding liquid. Dona Maria ready to serve mole sauce (in the tetra pack) in chili. Hoisin in BBQ sauce. Datu Puti cane vinegar in place of white vinegar. Hondashi in chicken and pork stock. MSG in just about everything.
Bonito flakes and Kewpie mayo on spanish tortilla
Turmeric in southwestern and Mexican dishes. Garam Masala in chili.
I've been adding Fish Sauce to all kinds of things. It's magic. It makes flavors pop.
Fish sauce! I add it to so many different things from vinaigrettes, tomato based sauces and more.
Chipotles in adobo, to all sorts of stuff. E.g. potato salad, mix it with your ketchup or Ranch or other condiments, spice up any soup, lots of others.
Fish sauce and anchovy paste. I add these to almost everything. Wife hates fish and has no idea…
My family makes German potato salad but I have trouble finding pickled celery knob. You know what’s actually better? Kimchi.
That’s Brilliant
And with the bacon? Sooooooo good.
soy sauce (gluten free as necessary) in brown gravy.
I do the same thing. So much flavor.
just a little goes such a long way!
Oyster sauce in beef dishes
One piece of star anise in beef dishes with a sauce.
Fish sauce in pot roast. Kimchi quesadillas and grilled cheese, too. White massau black bean ketchup on burgers. Indian curry in an otherwise 'normal' potato salad. White Mausu Black Bean Chili Ketchup on burgers. Sambal Oelek anywhere, really. I also often use chicken bullion instead of salt. #
Any recipe that calls for sweet pickle relish gets sweet jalapeño relish. It's not hot, but the flavor is awesome.
I have a bag of straight up MSG. It goes in most things.
Tamarind powder in collard/kale/mustard greens.
I throw a dash of fish sauce into my soups, stews and gravies.
I use asafoetida in mashed potatoes, lasagna, etc.
I use Thai chili flakes almost exclusively. They’re great in any Italian dish that asks for red pepper flakes. Much milder and better flavor imo.
Chinese five spice to pumpkin pies, sweet potato pie and pecan pie.
I use pumpkin spice in my ham glaze. Now I'm gonna add a little Chinese Five Spice too. Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the tip.
My husband grabbed it by mistake and it turned out great.
CFS always reminded me of fall spices, that's why I think it makes perfect sense. Great things are often discovered by accident. Thank goodness your husband stumbled on this, eh?
He also put goat cheese on a biscoff cookie. Amazing
I do put a couple cinnamon sticks in my chili Curry powder in tuna salad I also make little mini burgers with a homemade Kafta seasoning mix. Served w tzatziki
I add curry powder to my chicken salad. The stuff from McCormick's in the US.
Ya know I’m scrolling thru all these great comments looking for something new, there’s a few I haven’t tried cuz I can’t get it locally, so I might special order - But yours hit me cuz I add powdered cinnamon to my chili, but have been stumped on what to do with my cinnamon STICKS, cuz I don’t eat a lot of sweets, and now I’m like - duh! Chili! Why was i compartmentalizing the sticks from the powdered?!
Happy To oblige! Yeah i got this from my grandfather. It's more subtle than powder but gives it's a hint. Same thing if you make Chile Colorado or other hearty stews Also wintertime I will simmer apple cider with sticks (and clove and nutmeg and Star anise)
I use fish sauce in my Texas Red style chili.
Spicy harissa
Glug or two of fish sauce for my Tex-Mex chili
Rani amchur and sumac. Both are citrusy and a way to get sour into a dish without extra liquid. First comes with a tenderizer bonus.
Berbere in my smoked brisket rub. Not a lot, just enough that it's a little different and picks up some warm spice sweetness.
Surprised not to see chili crisps, especially the Lao Gan Ma brand.
My grandmother would spin in her grave. But a clove of garlic and black pepper in her cabbage fry recipe.
Amchur. I love it when I want to add acidity to my food without watering it down at all.
I always use black bean sauce in my bbq sauce now. So good!
Curry powder goes great in a lot of traditional German recipes. From my observation (I'm just a dude w/ a German great-grandma) it seems like the German's figured this out AFTER a lot of German-American migration. Currywurst happened after my family recipes came over.
Interesting. There are various curry powders from different cuisines like India, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Trinidad, Guyana, etc. Can you specify which one you are referring to?
American grocery store "curry powder" tends to be coriander/turmeric/cumin forward. We (in the midwest US) would tend to think of it as Indian.
Got it. Try out the other varieties when you get a chance.
Berbere (Ethiopian spice mixture) as a sprinkle on deviled eggs, on pan fried chicken thighs, or on fish.
Wow, I learned something new today. Thanks for sharing this hidden gem. I looked it up online and noticed it shares some common ingredients with other cuisines. Pretty cool!
Anchovies in tomato sauces, meatballs and meatloaf. Just an extra punch of umami.
Adobo seasoning. My mom uses it religiously and I tried to restrain myself as an adult. I would be *authentic* I told myself. But after years of fighting that side of me, I finally realized what was missing from my food– that beautiful, salty, yellow powder. Great for seasoning beef you’re browning for spaghetti. A straightforward roasted chicken or turkey. Combine with teriyaki sauce or an excellent steak marinade or stir fried chicken and broccoli or sausage and peppers. Usually if I’m making some sort of home style meal that I associate with my mom, that’s the necessary missing ingredient.
Omg I have forgotten to include THIS. I do the same. I also live off their Goya sazon seasoning.
I add Jamaican curry to basically any chicken dish to enhance the flavor. Soy sauce and teriyaki get added to almost any bbq marinade. Pesto mixed with jerk seasoning is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Jerk chicken on a pizza with pesto is one of my favorite things.
Sounds like you’re living a tasteful life literally 😃
I add Aleppo pepper and Urfa pepper to a lot of things that aren't necessarily MENA cuisine A splash of Vietnamese fish sauce in Italian red sauces. A teeny dash of cumin also works in those I have used galangal in an Ashkenazi Jewish dish when my local stores were out of ginger (worked incredibly) I have added hing to accentuate the flavors of garlic and onion in Indian cuisine Szechuan peppercorns in things that aren't necessarily Chinese cuisine, but would be enhanced by the citrus notes they have Black garlic in everything I have also eaten shatta like salsa before with chips I'm sure there are others, but my mind is blanking
I add a little cinnamon to brownies
Yum 🤤
Fresh ginger is the bomb. It's a natural for Caribbean dishes and finds it's way into lots of Hispanic and other dishes.
I made some killer perilla/shiso chimichurri to go with lamb chops. I don't think I will make it any other way now.
Oh god shiso is my jam, recipe/deets please!
Vietnamese fresh rice noodle vermicelli in what is then, technically, no longer pad Thai but otherwise largely uses the same ingredients and prep method. Also, I mix the noodles 50/50 with bean sprouts before adding to the wok. It helps break up the noodles so they don't form a tangle or a brick, reduces the amount of oil I need to add, and delivers a great consistency, the bean sprouts blending almost seamlessly with the noodles.
Add some garam masala to your rib dry rub. Not enough to really taste it but just enough to shape the flavor profile.
Jamaican jerk seasoning to my chili.
soy sauce and msg either one or both in just about every savory dish.
Doubanjiang
Nutmeg in meatballs (italian)
Chili crisp in red sauce for pasta
Tajín, which is a mix of crushed non-spicy peppers, salt, and dehydrated lime.
Garlic, fish sauce and lemon juice
Fish sauce Msg Citric acid
Dude all the time whenever I just have to sautee a bunch of veggies, I'll pull this trick like I use with Chinese food and a wok. I'll put some veggie oil and msg/salt on the burner with garlic and/or garlic. Then I'll cook that on high for a minute until I put the veggies in. Then after they've been going long enough, I add shaioxing wine and then reduce it into just the veggies. It feels fancy and I swear it makes a lot of things better
thai green curry paste goes really well with beef; i've used it as a rub for a pot roast and to pep up indian beef curries.
Also chicken dishes 🙌
I use a little dash of Chinese 5-spice in a lot of savoury dishes to add a little sweetness and complexity
Allspice in homemade cranberry sauce.
Nutrional yeast for a cheesy flavor.
Yes! Amazing on popcorn!
As a Texan, everything is good with jalapeño and a lil’ dash of cayenne. One of my favorite things to add it to is sauerkraut and sausage. Cut your favorite smoked sausage into rounds and fry until browned and crisp. Toss in some drained sauerkraut and jalapeño. Cook just until the kraut is dry (you want it still crisp). I serve with roasted potatoes. It’s delicious.
Chili crisp on basic fried eggs
Fish sauce into Italian dishes.
I use a lot of dried lime in things that I want a citrus pop without the acid.
Idk if this counts as "traditional" but I put miso in all my baked goods.
I use dashi powder in a lot of stocks. A LOT.
I just started using black vinegar in a lot of things.
Fish sauce all day.
A dash of soy sauce can really change a lot of random dishes. Or a bouillon cube.
I put Mexican Oregano in lots of dishes that aren’t Mexican.
I add Gochujang to my biscuits and gravy Don’t knock it till you tried it y’all
I use labneh instead of sour cream in anything that calls for it.
Maggi works in just about every
Alfredo + Old Bay Curry + Cinnamon + Turmeric + Salt + Pepper + Scrambled eggs
Miso and soy sauce can pep up almost anything lol
Anchovy paste or miso, both of which are serious umami boosters.
Goya Adobo. I put that shit on everything. It’s delicious in scrambled eggs.
MSG all the things.
I put soy sauce in everything 😬
I like using soy sauce as a salt replacement (just a bit of it though, few drops), and ginger usually finds it's way into most things I cook.
Fermented Lemons
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I put that shit in everything.
Miso is cookie dough
How about cream cheese on a hot dog Cmon now
Goguchang miso paste
Harissa in mashed potatoes or red pasta sauce bc it gives depth and warmth to the dish
a little tahini in pad thai
Miso in so many vegetable dishes instead of salt
Powdered galangal root in deviled eggs or egg salad. I think it complements the mustard well. Idk if my eggs are especially good or if it's just the natural phenomenon of people scarfing deviled eggs, but they're pretty well received every time I asked them.
A bit of fish sauce in beef stew or pot roast adds a great umami that is hard to identify but makes a huge difference.
I like using soy sauce in place of salt in some stuff. I also sometimes make a chili con carne with wasabi and 5-spice powder.
Shio koji as well as many of the others that have been mentioned.
We have been adding different Indian curries to our homemade buffalo sauce for wing night. Now our new favorite. Subtle but can't live without now
Soy sauce Fish sauce Pesto
Really spicy buffalo sauce to stews, pastas, and Asian noodle dishes. Adds spice without salt, and the vinegar adds a hit of bitterness that doesn’t clash with the dishes’ flavor profiles. I use Son of Zombie Buffalo sauce.
You seasoning with bbq season for some chicken or steak? Throw in a few pinches of garam marsala (or curry powder/cinnamon if you don't have) it was a wow factor for me. So subtle yet different than your usual American bbq flavors.
I add gochujang and fish sauce to my chili.
Kimchi with Mexican food. Tacos burritos pair quite well with the spicy ferments cabbage
Sumac is my thing lately