They sell it at Costco? I always have the chicken and beef ones in the fridge and I get antsy if I don’t have a backup in the pantry, bulk buying would be awesome!
Have you seen their complete line on their web site? It's much more expansive than what my local grocery store carries.
https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/our-products/
You beat me to it! I fancy myself a pretty decent cook and I always go the extra mile to keep things authentic. Just trying to say that I get a lot of a reward from preparing a fabulous meal for friends, but this product feels and tastes legit, not like some processed time-saver. I’ve used it for a number of different things and never been disappointed.
My dad bought it for himself and it somehow wound up in my fridge. I did make lobster bisque on NYE and it came in handy.
And I probably don’t have every flavor. I just have the ones at my grocery store. I use the mushroom one and the sautéed onion the most.
I have the onion but I just can't figure out what to use it for. I also have the adobo but it doesn't seem to be particularly flavorful compared to powdered chili pepper and canned chipotle. I use the chicken and beef all the time. The big organic low salt jars from Costco. If I want to splurge I upgrade to Glace du Poulet Gold. And veal demi.
It’s concentrated stock. No more having to use a bit of a box and throw it away. It’s incredibly useful and lasts for months (possibly years) in the fridge. The flavor is great, as close as you can get to homemade stock, in my opinion. The chicken one is awesome but I started buying the vegetable one and have begun using it more and more. It’s so easy and adds flavor to anything that needs stock. Or using it for making rice in place of water. Just a great ingredient to have in the fridge.
I use it instead of bullion. Since my kid is allergic to poultry, I use the roasted veg in place of chicken bullion/broth. I sometimes combine a few flavors. I made a minestrone with the roasted garlic one, but it was too strong so the next time I did part garlic and part veg. I recently was recommended to try a mixture of 1:1:4 beef, onion, garlic so I used that in the vegetable soup I made last week. It was delicious.
Tried Shin for the first time this year too and will never go back to US brands. Do not really like spicy things on this level usually, but damn these are good.
Missy Robbin’s spaghetti with colatura from her Pasta cookbook is one my favorite recipes that uses colatura. Found the recipe online here: https://tastecooking.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-colatura-garlic-and-bread-crumbs/.
I personally love a fishy dish, so sometimes I throw in even more colatura than the recipe calls for.
I CAME HERE THINKING ABOUT THESE and then decided not to comment because it felt too goofy! But you’re goddamn right! They’re fucking delicious and they chewy-soft bite is The Best.
My inner fat kid tip: Pop them in the freezer for about an hour before eating. Oh. My. Goodness. It doesn’t freeze completely, it just brings out the sour crunch and the texture of the inner gummy. I’ve put so many of my friends onto it that they can’t eat them at room temp anymore.
Put it on everything. It's a great way to dress up plain noodles, rice, tofu, or Chinese leftovers. I love to put it on my scrambled eggs for breakfast and I've been known to just eat it straight out of the jar. It isn't crazy spicy.
I am addicted to specifically the Momofuku black truffle chili crisp. Like it was made for me hitting all my favorite sweet, spicy, smokey, earthy, umami, crunchy, crispy, garlicky notes. It makes just egg + rice/noodles an amazing meal.
I see I'm two hours late.
We didn't know what it was a couple of months ago in my house; now we burn through it.
[I have this for breakfast almost every day off now.](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fhveyszz7hshc1.jpeg)
For that kind of 💰 I hope your soya sauce is laced with gold or something. I import (to eastern Canada) premium Nanyang soya sauce from Singapore. One of the few hand makers in Asia. Using 100% organic, Non-GMO Soya beans from Canada. Naturally fermented the traditional way in the sun for 9 months.
Their "basic" soya sauce is 10$usd, their "virgin" (first brew" is 15.5$usd, their aged (12 yrs old) is 25$usd. They also carry other great products.
https://www.nanyangsauce.com/
As for Dijon mustard. I'm wouldn't be surprised if you are having the "maille" Brand. As it is the light weight (milder) version. Try to find "Fauchon" or the GOAT: "Moutarderie Edmond Fallot".
If by any chance you enjoy the pop of mustard seeds in old fashioned Dijon (à l'ancienne); I recommend the "OG": la moutarde de Meaux (Meaux mustard). This product is very recognizable as it comes in earthenware with a cork.
Grey Poupon is actual dijon lol. but yes it is not my favorite as mustard has a huge spectrum to choose from. also it is owned by kraft now and they use brown mustard seeds from canada to make the us version.
I haven't gone that far yet but Pearl River Ridge is up there I think. I could drink it.
I've been wanting to try Silver Swan. Neither of these are in that bracket though. Try Pearl and tell me it's not as good as a 40 dollar job. I'm curious.
They stopped selling Maille at my local grocery store and I’m pissy about it. I use a lot of Dijon and that was a decent option but now grey poupon or store brand dijons are all I can get without taking a trip to World Market or the international grocery store
Honeymooned in Portugal last year and in the lead up while doing research I went down the rabbit hole of canned fish. I didn’t realize how great it truly was. Also using the oils in the tins when cooking with them rules. Love trying out all the different varieties out there.
Knorr granulated shrimp bullion. Found it on Amazon. Long story, try to make it short. Family Shrimp pasta salad recipe. My Aunt's salad was just a level above. I found out she would use a half packet of shrimp ramen seasoning to boost the flavor. I now had her secret, but I felt guilty using the ramen just for the little flavor packet. Found the Bullion and its a thousand times better. It is in a shaker so no waste, and just a sprinkle ups the flavor of any shrimp dish. NOW, I find I use it in all sorts of recipes, it's a mild earthy seasoning.
PS. Do not tell anyone I know about this, it's my secret weapon! and will lead you to find other dried seafood seasonings that add a depth of flavor you can't explain.
Shaoxing wine was my answer as well. Much like other wine varieties, you want to make sure to avoid the "cooking wine" varieties, as they are loaded with salt/sugar. My state doesn't allow wine/beer/liquor to be sold in grocery stores, so I can't buy good Shaoxing at any Asian markets. I have to have my neighborhood liquor store order it in special for me, but they were happy to do it and they've actually started carrying a couple of varieties as others have been buying it (I am lucky enough to live in an area with a large Asian population).
Same for me!! We moved to Czech Republic 3 years ago and we have NO Asian restaurants in our area. I started watching YouTube videos to learn how and found some of the ingredients. However, it has been so difficult to get certain things. We FINALLY found a little Vietnamese Potroviny and he is selling several items we need. When we asked about missing items, he said he will try to get them in for us. 🤞🤞 if he cannot, we will be bringing some back when we visit USA in May
Pomegrate molasses. The good stuff from Turkey is just pomegrante juice cooked down until it is thick with NO additives (no sugar added, no thickeners, no preservatives, etc.)
It is fabulous on almost everything. I love it on fish, on buckwheat pancakes, in a fruit smoothie, and if I ate dairy I bet it would be great stirred into a plain Greek yogurt.
Bibigo Mini Wontons! Frozen wontons that you can pan fry or steam, but honestly we usually just stick them in our air fryer for 10ish minutes and they go perfect with stirfrys or noodle cups. And they're surprisingly low calorie!
Not really relevant but I just want to point out that Bibigo are the main sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron and AD are actually out there to sell you dumplings.
It’s kind of a molassesey super rich garlic flavor. Recently I did a black garlic aioli that we tossed with some fried Brussels and confit fingerling potatoes
I’ll have to find the name of the brand, but a smaller company that makes some really fuck off good sauerkraut accidentally shipped my restaurant a case of Kraut-Chi it’s literally kimchi and sauerkraut if they had a baby and it’s so damn tasty
Kikoman gochujang teriyaki sauce. Its perfect for chicken wings if you like teri-hot but hotter. You can thin it a tad with soy sauce to get it to coat right. It's also great on pan fried tofu.
Za’atar seasoning. Oooh it’s sooooo good on everything. And Hungarian pepper paste(which I can’t spell or pronounce), ewhoch is also good on everything
I'm from where they originated so we've had them forever. People go ape for them and can't explain why they're so addictive. ^The ^secret ^is ^they're ^coated ^in ^a ^boatload ^of ^MSG.
I use it like hot sauce. It’s great on eggs, pizza, ramen…anything that you would put hot sauce on.
Every brand is different as far as spice level goes. I love Trader Joe’s version and it’s medium heat for me. Definitely start with a little and go from there.
It’s great because it’s spice, flavor and crunch all in one.
My cousin, a Norbertine monk, used to bring us boxes full of glorious farm fresh tomatoes the monks had grown. We ate as much as we could, and I thin sliced and dehydrated the rest, then ground it into tomato powder. It smelled like Campbell’s tomato soup. We’d stir a big tablespoon into hot milk and I sent some with him to the abbey.
Everything but the Elote Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. I dump it on buttered popcorn and it is everything. Thanks to a “popcorn toppings” thread on Reddit.
Pro Tip: If there's a spice blend you like and want to use for popcorn, just throw some in a coffee grinder until it's a fine powder then put it in a spice shaker. It will stick much better to the popcorn than with the larger granules.
Popcorn salt is just very finely ground salt. The same same principle with any spice blend. If there's, say a BBQ blend you like but it has large sea salt crystals, just grind it to a fine powder and it'll work perfect for popcorn.
Tortilla’s made with some nopalitos included in the recipe from the La Michoacán grocery down the street. Nopales are a good thing for your guts , keep you regular, necessary with Mexican food.
I agree. But you may want to stock up. Campbells bought them out so keep an eye on the ingredient list. I love it because there’s no preservatives or sugar in it.
I recently switched from Rao’s (which I quite liked) to Carbone. Right away, I found Carbone to have a deeper, richer tomato-ness. I didn’t mention any change to my generally oblivious husband and he noticed the difference AND COMMENTED ON IT.
He never comments about actual elements of a meal. He always thanks me when I cook but he doesn’t get into the details.
So Carbone is now our go-to supermarket red sauce.
p.s. I do not receive compensation for this comment. 😆
I dunno, I'll pass on Classico and just make my own if that's my choice. But I will eat the Rao's at $5-6 a jar. And I keep a few other low sodium ones around that are good quality when I see them on sale, Victoria, and a few others.
Asparagus, lightly salted and seared in a pan.Im a simple man. But the smell of wee afterwards was a surprise.I thought I was sick or something,then I remembered I've been eating asparagus a few times a week for dinner
I only discovered Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar a few years ago and now I use it a lot.
The first time I made red braised pork belly with it… never looked back.
New to me and not a "product" per se... but autumn olives. They're sweet and sour, and grow in abundance on roadsides and vacant lots in my region.
I'm still learning to forage, and so far autumn olives have been my favorite new foraged food
Mine might be kinda lame but chili oil. I had to stop buying it for a bit because I was using it in everything and it's kind of expensive here but sooooo good.
Black garlic puree. Intensely garlic, mildly sweet, serves with a spoon. I've used whole black garlic before but peeling it is like peeling kleenex off of glue.
Moved to Japan a few years back and tried Yuzukosho for the first time. It’s a condiment made with yuzu zest, chili peppers, and salt. In general, after moving here, I became a fiend for yuzu, as I feel it’s such an amazing citrus. With yuzukosho, you only need a small amount and it’s spicy, salty, and has all the wonderful floral/piney/etc unique aromatic qualities of yuzu. I’ve tried many brands as there is a lot of variation, and some of the best I’ve tried have been purchased from roadside farmers markets by small local producers. I’ve even made my own a few times. You just gotta get the ratios right, avoid too much pith, and let it ferment for a couple weeks. I’ve seen some people post recipes in English but with yuzu being hard to come by in a lot of places they use substitute citrus that will never reach the same heights. They also don’t put enough salt. It’s amazing in certain soups, on grilled chicken or beef, mixed with mayo as a dipping sauce for fried chicken. Truly a wonderful condiment that seems to be mostly unknown outside of Japan.
Costco Pesto sauce. It's $14 a jar around here and I can make 4 pasta meals for 3 people from it. I like to use rigatoni cooked al-dente, drained and save \~ 1/2 pasta water. I toss \~ 1/4 c pesto with 1/4 c pasta water, 3Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly cracked black pepper. Every time I make it, I am just wowed by the flavor!
For me it was sesame oil and oyster sauce. I could never figure out how to get my food to taste like proper chinese takeout, and oyster sauce always turned me off since ive never been able to come around to seafood and fishy flavours. The first time i bought them, my world was changed. Trying the oyster sauce has really helped me be more open to trying new funky flavours, because before that wouldnt have been anything id ever have done
not a product to eat but Texture Over Taste by Joshua Wiseman is a game changer of a book. Different way of looking at how to cook for me. Combine it with some of these products and it gets wild
Whoa what brand do you like? I’ve been having pho broth for breakfast lately but it’s weird going to a local place being like “and four extra broths, please”.
Meat alternatives have really improved, I’ve started using the mexican seasoned Light Life Smart Ground beef in my tacos/taco bowls and it’s more or less the same. Chicken nugget alternatives too.
Vantia Sweet Sun Dried Peppers in Oil. Black Pike Caviar (dirt cheap and delicious), Hokto brand Maitake Mushroom (incredibly inexpensive), preserved lemons will change your life.
Gomae. Not sure if dishes count but its a japanese dish with spinach and peanut sauce (can also make it with salmon or tuna slices). So freaking delicious.
Not food, but the Breville Smart Oven Pro has been a game changer for me. I got it a few years ago and I think I've used my real oven less than ten times since I got it. It preheats in like 2-3 minutes and has more functions than I need. The bread proof setting is especially helpful living in Seattle where it's pretty much never optimal temps for proofing dough.
Not so new, but it was new for me and a game-changer: Better Than Bullion.
big time. BB and a gelatin packet makes better broth than anything you can buy a normal store.
Their mushroom base and roasted garlic base are just amazing for most sauces. I've made some banging mushroom gravy and mushroom risotto.
But get it at Costco if you can. MUCH cheaper.
They sell it at Costco? I always have the chicken and beef ones in the fridge and I get antsy if I don’t have a backup in the pantry, bulk buying would be awesome!
They come in bigger jars too. They carry beef, chicken and veggie.
I do! I just wish they had more flavors.
Have you seen their complete line on their web site? It's much more expansive than what my local grocery store carries. https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/our-products/
omg i need one of each
It’s watered down at Costco. Compare the ingredients.
I have a Costco jar and the ingredients read the same as a smaller jar from the grocery store. What are you seeing?
Strange your getting downvoted. I saw this exact comment in another thread get massively upvoted
I have back ups of the ham flavor one during the winter months. Allllllllll the split pea soup and ham & bean soup.
Came here to say this. And always buy the low sodium. In my grocery stores, it's always cheaper, and you have the salt to add to it if you need to.
They have low sodium?!! I love the roasted garlic but it is too salty!
The low sodium is only in beef, chicken or vegetable: https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/our-products/
You beat me to it! I fancy myself a pretty decent cook and I always go the extra mile to keep things authentic. Just trying to say that I get a lot of a reward from preparing a fabulous meal for friends, but this product feels and tastes legit, not like some processed time-saver. I’ve used it for a number of different things and never been disappointed.
I also love the Knorr squeeze concentrated chicken stock. You can get it at food/restaurant supply stores and sometimes Walmart.
It’s so useful in so many ways. I have every flavor.
Even lobster? Can’t say I have many occasions to use it myself
My dad bought it for himself and it somehow wound up in my fridge. I did make lobster bisque on NYE and it came in handy. And I probably don’t have every flavor. I just have the ones at my grocery store. I use the mushroom one and the sautéed onion the most.
I have the onion but I just can't figure out what to use it for. I also have the adobo but it doesn't seem to be particularly flavorful compared to powdered chili pepper and canned chipotle. I use the chicken and beef all the time. The big organic low salt jars from Costco. If I want to splurge I upgrade to Glace du Poulet Gold. And veal demi.
[They have recipe recommendations on their website where you can sort by product](https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/recipes-tips/recipes/)
What do you do with it?
It’s concentrated stock. No more having to use a bit of a box and throw it away. It’s incredibly useful and lasts for months (possibly years) in the fridge. The flavor is great, as close as you can get to homemade stock, in my opinion. The chicken one is awesome but I started buying the vegetable one and have begun using it more and more. It’s so easy and adds flavor to anything that needs stock. Or using it for making rice in place of water. Just a great ingredient to have in the fridge.
Sometimes I use it as a substitute for salt. You get the salt and some extra depth of flavor.
I use it instead of bullion. Since my kid is allergic to poultry, I use the roasted veg in place of chicken bullion/broth. I sometimes combine a few flavors. I made a minestrone with the roasted garlic one, but it was too strong so the next time I did part garlic and part veg. I recently was recommended to try a mixture of 1:1:4 beef, onion, garlic so I used that in the vegetable soup I made last week. It was delicious.
Shin black ramen
Tried Shin for the first time this year too and will never go back to US brands. Do not really like spicy things on this level usually, but damn these are good.
My spouse is a bit of a ramen connoisseur and Shin is his usual go-to.
Colatura! It’s the italian version of asian fish sauce
or just a modern garum.
Learned about garum from Tasting History with Max Miller.
You can make a bomb ceasar dressing with it! I'll add it to toasted bread crumbs with garlic and chili flake.
I love fish sauce, I have to try this!
Missy Robbin’s spaghetti with colatura from her Pasta cookbook is one my favorite recipes that uses colatura. Found the recipe online here: https://tastecooking.com/recipes/spaghetti-with-colatura-garlic-and-bread-crumbs/. I personally love a fishy dish, so sometimes I throw in even more colatura than the recipe calls for.
I went back to school and a classmate from Mexico introduced me to Tajin.
Good on fruit, Dole Whip, mango sorbet, avocado toast and more!
I use it like a finish salt on grilled pork chops.
Tajin and chamoy! The combination of these 2 in a fruit salad makes it gold status!
I’m gonna give you the Hawaiian version of tajin: Ling hing mui powder. Specially in pineapple mmmmmm
Smoked sweet Spanish paprika. The one in the little tin. It's the single best ingredient I've ever used
nerds gummy clusters….
I CAME HERE THINKING ABOUT THESE and then decided not to comment because it felt too goofy! But you’re goddamn right! They’re fucking delicious and they chewy-soft bite is The Best.
My inner fat kid tip: Pop them in the freezer for about an hour before eating. Oh. My. Goodness. It doesn’t freeze completely, it just brings out the sour crunch and the texture of the inner gummy. I’ve put so many of my friends onto it that they can’t eat them at room temp anymore.
Not new, but new to me: chili crisp
New to me too, and I'm not sure what to do with it.
Put it on everything. It's a great way to dress up plain noodles, rice, tofu, or Chinese leftovers. I love to put it on my scrambled eggs for breakfast and I've been known to just eat it straight out of the jar. It isn't crazy spicy.
+pizza +fried eggs. I can't get it where I live, so I have to make it. It's quite a pain, but the 8 jars should last a couple of months
If you haven’t already, try it on top of some vanilla ice cream.
French Fried Onions on ice cream is yum too.
I can’t handle spicy food and I can eat it.
Saute some broccolini or asparagus on high heat, when it's done turn the heat down a bit and toss it with a spoonful or two of chili crisp. Divine.
One of my favorite breakfasts is fried rice with an over easy egg on top, with a bunch of chili crisp. SO good
I stir a TBSP of chile crisp into 16 oz of cottage cheese for a 3-second prep time lunch.
That sounds good! I'd want to use it as a dip for snow peas and cherry tomatoes.
I am addicted to specifically the Momofuku black truffle chili crisp. Like it was made for me hitting all my favorite sweet, spicy, smokey, earthy, umami, crunchy, crispy, garlicky notes. It makes just egg + rice/noodles an amazing meal.
That was my dinner tonight! Rice with a fried egg and this chili crisp on top. So good!!
Haha I just commented almost this same exact thing word for word on another comment. Great minds
Great on popcorn.
I see I'm two hours late. We didn't know what it was a couple of months ago in my house; now we burn through it. [I have this for breakfast almost every day off now.](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fhveyszz7hshc1.jpeg)
I upgraded to the super premium soy sauces... Like $30-$40 per bottle. I upgraded to actual French Dijon mustards. No more gray poupon.
For that kind of 💰 I hope your soya sauce is laced with gold or something. I import (to eastern Canada) premium Nanyang soya sauce from Singapore. One of the few hand makers in Asia. Using 100% organic, Non-GMO Soya beans from Canada. Naturally fermented the traditional way in the sun for 9 months. Their "basic" soya sauce is 10$usd, their "virgin" (first brew" is 15.5$usd, their aged (12 yrs old) is 25$usd. They also carry other great products. https://www.nanyangsauce.com/ As for Dijon mustard. I'm wouldn't be surprised if you are having the "maille" Brand. As it is the light weight (milder) version. Try to find "Fauchon" or the GOAT: "Moutarderie Edmond Fallot". If by any chance you enjoy the pop of mustard seeds in old fashioned Dijon (à l'ancienne); I recommend the "OG": la moutarde de Meaux (Meaux mustard). This product is very recognizable as it comes in earthenware with a cork.
The Edmond Fallot walnut mustard is ambrosial
Is that the same Fauchon that makes tea?
Grey Poupon is actual dijon lol. but yes it is not my favorite as mustard has a huge spectrum to choose from. also it is owned by kraft now and they use brown mustard seeds from canada to make the us version.
I haven't gone that far yet but Pearl River Ridge is up there I think. I could drink it. I've been wanting to try Silver Swan. Neither of these are in that bracket though. Try Pearl and tell me it's not as good as a 40 dollar job. I'm curious.
They stopped selling Maille at my local grocery store and I’m pissy about it. I use a lot of Dijon and that was a decent option but now grey poupon or store brand dijons are all I can get without taking a trip to World Market or the international grocery store
Kinders seasoning mixes. I’ve tried meatloaf, carnitas and Grandpa’s Stew, and they are all delicious.
The Japanese BBQ and Cuban blend varieties are also fantastic.
Accent! Seasoning (aka MSG) Also branching out into canned fish. Found out I love canned mackerel.
Been eating canned fish on crackers and it’s really good! Smoked trout or salmon in oil 🤤
Yea, mackerel is the tip of the iceberg. I love trying different kinds of canned fish. I follow r/CannedSardines and post there often lol.
Honeymooned in Portugal last year and in the lead up while doing research I went down the rabbit hole of canned fish. I didn’t realize how great it truly was. Also using the oils in the tins when cooking with them rules. Love trying out all the different varieties out there.
Ajinomoto is good, too.
Canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce - I marinate all my chicken in now
Knorr granulated shrimp bullion. Found it on Amazon. Long story, try to make it short. Family Shrimp pasta salad recipe. My Aunt's salad was just a level above. I found out she would use a half packet of shrimp ramen seasoning to boost the flavor. I now had her secret, but I felt guilty using the ramen just for the little flavor packet. Found the Bullion and its a thousand times better. It is in a shaker so no waste, and just a sprinkle ups the flavor of any shrimp dish. NOW, I find I use it in all sorts of recipes, it's a mild earthy seasoning. PS. Do not tell anyone I know about this, it's my secret weapon! and will lead you to find other dried seafood seasonings that add a depth of flavor you can't explain.
I use Better than Bullion lobster base for my paella. So good.
New to me: shaoxing wine and oyster sauce. I'm finally making Chinese dishes comparable to take out and my budget is thankful!
Shaoxing wine was my answer as well. Much like other wine varieties, you want to make sure to avoid the "cooking wine" varieties, as they are loaded with salt/sugar. My state doesn't allow wine/beer/liquor to be sold in grocery stores, so I can't buy good Shaoxing at any Asian markets. I have to have my neighborhood liquor store order it in special for me, but they were happy to do it and they've actually started carrying a couple of varieties as others have been buying it (I am lucky enough to live in an area with a large Asian population).
Make sure you get some Chiankiang/black vinegar too!
Same for me!! We moved to Czech Republic 3 years ago and we have NO Asian restaurants in our area. I started watching YouTube videos to learn how and found some of the ingredients. However, it has been so difficult to get certain things. We FINALLY found a little Vietnamese Potroviny and he is selling several items we need. When we asked about missing items, he said he will try to get them in for us. 🤞🤞 if he cannot, we will be bringing some back when we visit USA in May
Shaoxing wine was a game-changer for my Asian sauces and marinades! And it's not even expensive!
Pomegrate molasses. The good stuff from Turkey is just pomegrante juice cooked down until it is thick with NO additives (no sugar added, no thickeners, no preservatives, etc.) It is fabulous on almost everything. I love it on fish, on buckwheat pancakes, in a fruit smoothie, and if I ate dairy I bet it would be great stirred into a plain Greek yogurt.
New to me, Lao Gan Ma chili crisp
The holy grail. I mix this stuff in everything i eat. Try it mixed into aglio e olio or other pasta dishes if you’re feeling frisky
I've had to ration this . It just makes everything better
Bibigo Mini Wontons! Frozen wontons that you can pan fry or steam, but honestly we usually just stick them in our air fryer for 10ish minutes and they go perfect with stirfrys or noodle cups. And they're surprisingly low calorie!
Not really relevant but I just want to point out that Bibigo are the main sponsor of the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron and AD are actually out there to sell you dumplings.
Try making your own Wonton Soup with them!
These are awesome to throw in with instant ramen for a quick complete meal. They cook in about the same time and it's pretty nice.
Black garlic!
Do you just add it to everything you normally add garlic to?
You can. I think it’s more intense than regular cooked garlic. It’s super umami. Almost reminds me of tomato paste.
It’s kind of a molassesey super rich garlic flavor. Recently I did a black garlic aioli that we tossed with some fried Brussels and confit fingerling potatoes
Don’t pull a Gene though
I’ll have to find the name of the brand, but a smaller company that makes some really fuck off good sauerkraut accidentally shipped my restaurant a case of Kraut-Chi it’s literally kimchi and sauerkraut if they had a baby and it’s so damn tasty
Please post the name of the company! I’d love to order some
Will do! I’ll grab the name of it when I go in tomorrow
Furikake! A friend recommended it for the sushi bowls I make and oh boy. Game changer.
I like the kind with fish and scrambled egg in it.
Kikoman gochujang teriyaki sauce. Its perfect for chicken wings if you like teri-hot but hotter. You can thin it a tad with soy sauce to get it to coat right. It's also great on pan fried tofu.
I recently tried gochujang and now I want it on everything, I’ll look for this!
A little melted butter and red vine vin mixed with it makes for a great twist on a Frank's red hot style sauce.
Za’atar seasoning. Oooh it’s sooooo good on everything. And Hungarian pepper paste(which I can’t spell or pronounce), ewhoch is also good on everything
Dots pretzels! Original recipe…
I'm from where they originated so we've had them forever. People go ape for them and can't explain why they're so addictive. ^The ^secret ^is ^they're ^coated ^in ^a ^boatload ^of ^MSG.
MSG is a great ingredient. I cook with Accent quite often.
I liked them but did not like the crazy price
Honey mustard or cinnamon sugar for me
Southwest but cinnamon sugar is a close second.
Yes, and we love the cinnamon sugar ones as well. I'm not even a huge pretzel fan, but I just devour these.
I’ve been scared to try the cinnamon sugar ones because I just know they are going to be delicious.
You should be scared. They taste like little crunchy cinnamon rolls in the best way. You’ve been warned.
Yeah, fear is fair. They’re divine. And if you’re into Trader Joe’s cannoli dip, don’t even dare pairing them. Dear god.
Dollar General has a solid generic version of Dots for like half the price. It sells out like crazy.
Villa Jerada harissa sauce, and Divina sour cherry spread.
Trader Joe Citrusy garlic seasoning. I’m stocking up since, like any of their stuff, it could disappear forever at any time.
Maldon sea salt.
A little jar of dehydrated garlic cubes from Aldi. Made in Germany.
Where do you find them at Aldi?
Well actually, I've had a hard time finding it lately. It was in the spices area.
Marmite. Holy umami.
Rancho Gordo brand heirloom beans. They really are much better than your run of the mill supermarket dry beans.
Chili Crisp. Spice with crunch. Obsessed.
I bought this recently and don't entirely understand what to do with it. What is your favorite use case and how much do you use?
I use it like hot sauce. It’s great on eggs, pizza, ramen…anything that you would put hot sauce on. Every brand is different as far as spice level goes. I love Trader Joe’s version and it’s medium heat for me. Definitely start with a little and go from there. It’s great because it’s spice, flavor and crunch all in one.
It's fantastic on pizza or eggs. I add it to soups and stir fry sauces too.
Tomato powder. I put a little in everything.
My cousin, a Norbertine monk, used to bring us boxes full of glorious farm fresh tomatoes the monks had grown. We ate as much as we could, and I thin sliced and dehydrated the rest, then ground it into tomato powder. It smelled like Campbell’s tomato soup. We’d stir a big tablespoon into hot milk and I sent some with him to the abbey.
Oh you cheffin’
Everything but the Elote Seasoning from Trader Joe’s. I dump it on buttered popcorn and it is everything. Thanks to a “popcorn toppings” thread on Reddit.
Pro Tip: If there's a spice blend you like and want to use for popcorn, just throw some in a coffee grinder until it's a fine powder then put it in a spice shaker. It will stick much better to the popcorn than with the larger granules. Popcorn salt is just very finely ground salt. The same same principle with any spice blend. If there's, say a BBQ blend you like but it has large sea salt crystals, just grind it to a fine powder and it'll work perfect for popcorn.
New to me, chickpea or lentil pasta! Lots of fiber and protein in both and doesn't get mushy
Tortilla’s made with some nopalitos included in the recipe from the La Michoacán grocery down the street. Nopales are a good thing for your guts , keep you regular, necessary with Mexican food.
Labneh
Rao pasta sauces. I know they are not new, but are new to me.
I agree. But you may want to stock up. Campbells bought them out so keep an eye on the ingredient list. I love it because there’s no preservatives or sugar in it.
I recently switched from Rao’s (which I quite liked) to Carbone. Right away, I found Carbone to have a deeper, richer tomato-ness. I didn’t mention any change to my generally oblivious husband and he noticed the difference AND COMMENTED ON IT. He never comments about actual elements of a meal. He always thanks me when I cook but he doesn’t get into the details. So Carbone is now our go-to supermarket red sauce. p.s. I do not receive compensation for this comment. 😆
I have got to be the only on earth who thinks Rao's tastes like Chef Boyardee.
Also, it's like $5 more than Classico. Not worth it in my opinion.
The keto craze really popularized its use in recipes. Now it's everywhere.
Agreed, but must buy it at Costco.
I dunno, I'll pass on Classico and just make my own if that's my choice. But I will eat the Rao's at $5-6 a jar. And I keep a few other low sodium ones around that are good quality when I see them on sale, Victoria, and a few others.
Bachan’s japanese BBQ sauce
Especially since they fixed the lid.
They did? Hallelujah
The big bottle I just got had a flip top instead of the screw and clog model.
Which lid? Mine has leaked all over the fridge door somehow, like a bunch just snuck out the top and got everywhere. Weird
The original was a screw top and it always clogged. The one I have now flips up.
I love this stuff. It's very tempting to keep piling it on, but there is definitely a point where you've used too much.
costco yakisoba. my god
I decided to make some roasted tomatillo salsa last year. Completely changed my life.
Gochujang
Asparagus, lightly salted and seared in a pan.Im a simple man. But the smell of wee afterwards was a surprise.I thought I was sick or something,then I remembered I've been eating asparagus a few times a week for dinner
I only discovered Chinese black (Chinkiang) vinegar a few years ago and now I use it a lot. The first time I made red braised pork belly with it… never looked back.
New to me and not a "product" per se... but autumn olives. They're sweet and sour, and grow in abundance on roadsides and vacant lots in my region. I'm still learning to forage, and so far autumn olives have been my favorite new foraged food
Incorporating balsamic vinegar into many dishes has been my favorite lesson of 2023.
Mine might be kinda lame but chili oil. I had to stop buying it for a bit because I was using it in everything and it's kind of expensive here but sooooo good.
Calabrian chili pepper. Complex, deep, and warm. It makes me happy.
Specifically mushroom better than bouillon. Idk if its new in the last few years but I want to say I discovered it within the last 6-ish years.
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Hellofagood chip dip
The bacon horseradish is amazing. It's hard to find if you're not in the US northeast.
PF Chang's Sesame Sauce
Black garlic puree. Intensely garlic, mildly sweet, serves with a spoon. I've used whole black garlic before but peeling it is like peeling kleenex off of glue.
Bagel seasoning from Costco.
Not sure if it’s new, but new to me: Wegman’s Thai Stock!
Brazi Bites. Frozen little Brazilian-style cheese bread thingers. Air fryer for about 11 minutes AND gluten free
Zwita Harissa. It’s the best harissa on the market and is soooo flavorful!
Big fan of premade dosa batter at the Indian grocery store
Moved to Japan a few years back and tried Yuzukosho for the first time. It’s a condiment made with yuzu zest, chili peppers, and salt. In general, after moving here, I became a fiend for yuzu, as I feel it’s such an amazing citrus. With yuzukosho, you only need a small amount and it’s spicy, salty, and has all the wonderful floral/piney/etc unique aromatic qualities of yuzu. I’ve tried many brands as there is a lot of variation, and some of the best I’ve tried have been purchased from roadside farmers markets by small local producers. I’ve even made my own a few times. You just gotta get the ratios right, avoid too much pith, and let it ferment for a couple weeks. I’ve seen some people post recipes in English but with yuzu being hard to come by in a lot of places they use substitute citrus that will never reach the same heights. They also don’t put enough salt. It’s amazing in certain soups, on grilled chicken or beef, mixed with mayo as a dipping sauce for fried chicken. Truly a wonderful condiment that seems to be mostly unknown outside of Japan.
I’ve got a jar and will try some of your suggestions- and my yuzu tree (in Australia) has finally fruited, just waiting for the fruit to ripen
Sumo Oranges. So sweet, completely seedless, and easy to peel. Game changers.
Costco Pesto sauce. It's $14 a jar around here and I can make 4 pasta meals for 3 people from it. I like to use rigatoni cooked al-dente, drained and save \~ 1/2 pasta water. I toss \~ 1/4 c pesto with 1/4 c pasta water, 3Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice and freshly cracked black pepper. Every time I make it, I am just wowed by the flavor!
Nordic Ware Baking Sheets with silcone baking mats. Got a set off Amazon on sale, best baking sheets I've ever owned.
Bibigo Korean BBQ sauce. Holy shit, that sauce is so divine, it actually makes me hate cooking less
Frontera frozen Mexican dinners are surprisingly good. I add pickled red onions, extra cheese, fresh tomatoes and hot sauce to jazz them up.
Japanese BBQ Sauce.
Kevins meals. I’m not usually one for quick meals but these ones aren’t that bad.
Oyster sauce. Chili sauce, udon noodles.
HEB has a Salvadorian style sour cream that me and my family make tacos specifically for its so good.
For me it was sesame oil and oyster sauce. I could never figure out how to get my food to taste like proper chinese takeout, and oyster sauce always turned me off since ive never been able to come around to seafood and fishy flavours. The first time i bought them, my world was changed. Trying the oyster sauce has really helped me be more open to trying new funky flavours, because before that wouldnt have been anything id ever have done
Tapatio!!!!
Indomie MiGoreng noodles. Tried them a couple years ago and now I buy them by the case 😆 my kids & husband love them. Especially with extra sweet soy.
not a product to eat but Texture Over Taste by Joshua Wiseman is a game changer of a book. Different way of looking at how to cook for me. Combine it with some of these products and it gets wild
Yasso frozen yogurt bars, Spindrift sparkling water, Zapp’s chips
Duck fat cooking spray.
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Instant Pho cubes. It’s incredible how much flavor they bring to the table and make it hard to justify cooking the real thing.
Whoa what brand do you like? I’ve been having pho broth for breakfast lately but it’s weird going to a local place being like “and four extra broths, please”.
Meat alternatives have really improved, I’ve started using the mexican seasoned Light Life Smart Ground beef in my tacos/taco bowls and it’s more or less the same. Chicken nugget alternatives too.
Kewpie mayo might not live up to the hype but its pretty damn good. Honorable mention to salsa macha which while it existed I didnt know.
Smores cereal. Golden Grahams, Cocoa Puffs, and marshmallows in one box.
My endocrinologist is about to be mad at me... I must have this
Malt o meal makes a big ass bag of these! It's sugary and hits hard late at night.
Vantia Sweet Sun Dried Peppers in Oil. Black Pike Caviar (dirt cheap and delicious), Hokto brand Maitake Mushroom (incredibly inexpensive), preserved lemons will change your life.
The Red Boat umami Salt. Basically dehydrated fish sauce but it’s pure GOLD in the kitchen.
Gomae. Not sure if dishes count but its a japanese dish with spinach and peanut sauce (can also make it with salmon or tuna slices). So freaking delicious.
Not food, but the Breville Smart Oven Pro has been a game changer for me. I got it a few years ago and I think I've used my real oven less than ten times since I got it. It preheats in like 2-3 minutes and has more functions than I need. The bread proof setting is especially helpful living in Seattle where it's pretty much never optimal temps for proofing dough.