Professional Chefs Are Sharing The One Ingredient They Can't Live Without (And Why), And This Changes Everything
Half the fun of cooking is finding an ingredient you simply can't live without. When Reddit user liberta0407 asked, "Chefs, what's your single favorite ingredient and why?" tons of people chimed in with their pantry staples. Here are the ones that might just kick your homecooked dishes up a notch:
1."Garlic. It is so damn versatile and goes with basically anything."
2."Pineapple. I work at a resort in Hawaii and there are so many things you can do with pineapple. You can make smoothies out of it, use the skin as a fruit salad bowl, and put it on pizza."
3."Absolutely butter."
4."I'm a big fan of cayenne powder. I throw a pinch in everything to give it a zing!"
5."Salt. You can't make anything without it."
6."Buttermilk. It's an underrated ingredient in marinades, dressings, and bakery items like bread, cakes, etc. It just adds that extra zip."
7."Cilantro! Suck it, soap eaters."
8."Not a chef, but a baker. Cardamom. It's still not super common in American baked goods, and while I love cinnamon, that flavor isn't special to my palette anymore. Cardamom gives a warm, floral scent and flavor to whatever you make, and it can be paired with so many things. Treat yourself: add some cardamom and orange zest to your next batch of banana bread."
9."Bay leaves. Like salt, you don't want them to be the dominant flavor in anything, but they make a night and day difference in stews, pasta sauce, you name it."
10."Nutmeg. It goes in the sweet stuff, the savory stuff, and in some drinks."
11."Chef here. Lemon juice enhances flavor in almost anything. Vinegar is too dominant for me."
12."Vanilla extract is to sweet as salt is to savory. So besides salt, vanilla extract is pretty bomb."
13."Fresh black pepper."
14."Roasted sesame seed oil. It adds a light nuttiness and saltiness to a dish."
15."Tajin. It's a seasoning that adds a little bit of lime and a little kick to your dish. I put it on almost everything."
16."Vinegar. It is often the thing that is missing when people go for more salt and spices in their cooking wondering why it doesn't taste quite as good as in a restaurant."
17."Soy sauce makes for a great base and is good on most savory foods. I'm not a chef. I just cook for fun."
18."Stock and stock cubes. They often add a lot of flavor, seasoning, and depth."
19."I've discovered shallots. I knew they existed and everything before but never used them much, and now that I have I use them in everything. Shallots are the star of the onion world and no one can convince me otherwise. They're better in every way."
20."Cumin. It brings out savory flavors, and you can never use too much."
21."Oranges. They are just amazing. Do you enjoy lemon in your sauce? Orange is better. Fill your fish with baked oranges. It will blow your mouth away. Hibiscus tea? Put orange and ginger, the most refreshing tea ever made. Chicken with orange and wine reduction? Beautiful."
22."Chef of 25 years. My personal favorite is Worcestershire sauce. I use it more at home than in restaurants I've worked. It has such a nice umami though."
23."Everything bagel seasoning. Let me tell you right now, that is the best seasoning ever. It is salty and seedy — I don't even know how to put it in words."
What's your favorite ingredient of all time? Share it in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
