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Remember the wonderful cartoon "Kung Fu Panda" and the protagonist's adoptive father, who cooked delicious noodles with a secret ingredient? Yes, of course, later it turned out that there was actually no ingredient (we hope this was not a spoiler!), But it often happens that every person who is fond of cooking has their own secrets.
Just let's recall the famous secret mixture of 11 herbs that glorified Colonel Sanders and his chicken dishes all over the world - almost eighty years have passed, but KFC still keeps its composition top-secret. In general, there is always some little thing that can turn an ordinary meal into a real masterpiece.
There was a thread in the Reddit Cooking community a few days ago, whose topic starter asked just one simple question: "What is your secret ingredient?" The Original Poster also admitted that they use a tbsp of cocoa powder when they make lentil or black bean chili (wonderful idea, we support it!) Other redditors liked it too, and now the original post has almost 1.2K upvotes and over 1.2K different comments.
Bored Panda has collected for you a selection of the most popular, interesting and original ideas, whose authors are confident in their kitchen magic. So feel free to scroll to the very end, and don't forget to share your own cooking secret (especially if you're a KFC top manager!)
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Butter, it is always butter
Always. Watch the old Julia Child french cooking shows. Butter, cream.....fat is delicious.
More of a baking one than cooking, but I always double/triple the vanilla in EVERYTHING, and always add a little vanilla if the recipe doesn't list any. And I always add more ginger/cinnamon/nutmeg than the recipe lists.
If you're making a glaze or anything that requires boiling, always add it at the very VERY end, otherwise it will just evaporate.
Use coffee instead of water for brownies
You can also use espresso for a stronger flavor, and if you want it super good, just add instant espresso powder to the batter. You won't regret it.
Paprika in your fried chicken batter is amazing.
Shallots shallots shallots. They elevate any dish and take olive oil based pasta sauces to a whole new level.
yess shallots..never cooking without shallots
If you think, you miss something from your dish, but can't tell, what exactly is that, 90% of cases is some kind of acid, like lemon zest. Also helps with a bit too salty dishes.
Powdered mushroom. I put in in everything savory that has a liquid base. It’s essentially an Umami bomb. I buy dried shiitakes at an Asian market where they are cheap, powder them in the vitamix, and store in vacuum sealed mason jars.
Hm, never heard of this!
General squeeze of lime in chicken noodle soup
Impressive_Net_2836 , Henry Zbyszynski Report
Lime so much better than lemon in iced tea.
Depending on the dish - Worcestershire Sauce, Siracha, Pickle Juice, and Mustard.
webbitor , Better Than Bouillon Report
Probably getring downvoted, but I checked the ingredients in this and sorry, but I would not use such product. It (among other things like loads of salt) contains E631 and E627, use of both is restricted in Europe (can be used but in low amounts) and in my country both are flagged as potentially harmful to children and people with e.g. kidney diseases or generally sensitive.
Nutmeg in mac and cheese. Molasses in chile. Dash of acid in anything rich (not a secret but it feels like one!)
In mashed potatoes it's great. I have people always asking why my pots are always so good. Nutmeg and something else but mostly nutmeg.
Cayenne. It started with *Food Wishes* and now I put a little dusting on many recipes
I put cayenne also in my cappuccino.
Cornstarch. Not a flavour thing, but a texture thing. Dredge proteins for crisp-crunch. Add into baked goods for super softness. Thicken sauces quickly for cling and gloss. and msg, especially in super simple vegetable heavy dishes, like zoodles.
I don't like the taste of cornstarch in sauces (probably won't smell it in gravy but a light white wine sauce) You can use potatoestarch instead.
A little creamy peanut butter thickens a sauce (like a roux would) and adds a complex toasted umami component to the flavor. Just don't overdo it.
Just PLEASE tell that you've done it. Someone could eat it without expecting peanuts (or other nuts) and could be seriously ill. More people than one would expect are allergic
I only came across this a year ago and dosh damn, its great. Lol
For me it's fish sauce. A little bit of fish sauce in the sauce goes a long way. I recently saw people on here debating on what the best brand of fish sauce is. I've always been a Three Crabs guy but the consensus seemed to be for Red Boat. I bought a bottle of Red Boat and I've been using it but I'm not sure which I like better yet.
Smells terrible, makes food good. It's magic.
Acid in beans. Squirt of lemon, splash of vinegar, depending on the dish. Makes a huge difference even though you can't actually identify it as being in there.
A tiny amount of tarragon in fries (frozen or homemade), not enough that you get flecks of green on every fry, just a bit enough to get the aroma but people usually have a hard time wondering why the fries taste so good.
This sounds like a great idea!
This is usually called for with most sweet baked recipes.
Nobody has mentioned pomegranate molasses yet, so I am putting in a word for that. It is a tasty and versatile ingredient. For starters, try adding some to a vinaigrette for a salad.
Never tasted it. But it seems like it might be similar to balsamic vinegar?
Allspice anytime you use black pepper, especially meats, soups, and stews. Adds some aromatic, earthly, warmth and a touch of sweetness. Crushed red pepper is my go to spicy add on, I prefer it over cayenne as it has a brighter taste imo. Savoury anytime I use woody herbs like oregano or thyme but I think that might be a cultural thing. I've also been adding anchovies to a lot of dishes that require cooked onion/garlic mixture. I could use fish sauce or Worcestershire but I like watching the filets melt away.
Yes, big fan of allspice in my cooking!
Shaoxing wine in my poor man’s Bulgogi inspired pot roast.
For the celiac/gluten sensitive folks and those who cook for them: This is another one on the list where people might not realize it usually has gluten.
Yes! If no one mentioned I was going to. It just adds that slight, can’t put your finger on it, lemony zing. Also, cumin
Horseradish spread for sandwiches in my coleslaw. The kick gives the slaw something special
I add extra to my cocktail sauce. Yum!
2-3 Tbs of masa harina in a large pot of chili. It thickens and gives a subtle corny flavor. Now I want chili.
Preserved lemon is a game changer
Hairy-Motor-7447 , Brand: Spice Supreme Report
The whole msg causes cancer thing is bs. Check it out online.
Fish oil or anchovy paste do wonders for savory dishes
Again, tell people its in there. Some people are really allergic to seafood.
Vinegar-based hot sauce in mac and cheese (Frank's). The spice enhances the flavor and the vinegar cuts the richness of the cheese sauce.
Why is it in bottles in a pot on the stove?
Liquid smoke in my chicken salad. Mascarpone cheese to thicken a “brothy” soup and give it a silky texture.
Taminella_Grinderfal , Alex Shultz Report
Can't stand the stuff myself. We do smoked brisket/pork quite alot and did a comparison using this instead of the smoker, flavour was dreadful, tastes like creosote and after looking it up appears we aren't alone on that one.
1. When people ask me why my food tastes so good, I tell them that I use a secret ingredient. When they ask what the secret ingredient is, I wryly respond with "Love". But it's not really a joke. I think when people really care about the food they make, and the people they're serving, the food will taste better. 2. For a more practical tip: I rarely use salt. If I need to season something, I use something savory and salty. So stuff like soy sauce, miso paste, grated parmesan rind, or my personal favorite: chicken bouillon powder
1. Nope. "Love" or "care" will not make your dish better... It will just make people around you to say what you want to hear. 2. Well, that's awkward. The stuff you listed are loaded with salt.
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Oleg has master's degree in Economics he got long time ago in a city far, far away. Oleg also worked as a university teacher, sports writer and a BDSM* specialist for several IT companies. After six years of making pub quizzez in Ukraine, Oleg joined Bored Panda team as a content creator. This panda (Pun? Duh!) is also a huge sports fan, being happy as a longtime member of WeDemBoys Community and Boston Celtics Nation as well. During his downtime from work and parenting with three kids (twin daughters and a baby son), Oleg enjoys reading JKR, JRRT, GRRM and other respective abbreviations. Also interested in history and graphic design (and the history of graphic design too)...
Hey! I'm a photo editor. In my free time, I love going to art galleries, exhibitions, concerts or just hanging out in nature with my friends. My dream is to get an RV and travel around the world with my dog.
Mix icing sugar with lemon or lime juice instead of water to make icing for cinnamon buns, any pastry that needs a drizzle of icing really, the slight zing really makes it so much tastier
Isn't taste subjective? I think adding potato chips to a tuna fish sandwich makes it taste better, but not everyone would.
Oh my god I've never heard of anyone else doing that! I either use potato chips or nacho Doritos. It's sounds terrible but it tastes amazing!
I have been to Peru twice and each time had quinoa soup in one specific location on Lake Titicaca. It was the best soup I have eaten in my entire life, and one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. It had some spefic flavor that I just cannot place and despite trying dozens quinoa soup recipes I never even came close. I will forever wonder what the secret ingredient was - probably some local herb or such.
There are some recipes online. The ingredient might be ají amarillo paste, made with Peruvian yellow peppers. You can buy jars of it online.
Mix icing sugar with lemon or lime juice instead of water to make icing for cinnamon buns, any pastry that needs a drizzle of icing really, the slight zing really makes it so much tastier
Isn't taste subjective? I think adding potato chips to a tuna fish sandwich makes it taste better, but not everyone would.
Oh my god I've never heard of anyone else doing that! I either use potato chips or nacho Doritos. It's sounds terrible but it tastes amazing!
I have been to Peru twice and each time had quinoa soup in one specific location on Lake Titicaca. It was the best soup I have eaten in my entire life, and one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. It had some spefic flavor that I just cannot place and despite trying dozens quinoa soup recipes I never even came close. I will forever wonder what the secret ingredient was - probably some local herb or such.
There are some recipes online. The ingredient might be ají amarillo paste, made with Peruvian yellow peppers. You can buy jars of it online.
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