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!)
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
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.
Shallots shallots shallots. They elevate any dish and take olive oil based pasta sauces to a whole new level.
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.
Better Than Bouillon
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.
Depending on the dish - Worcestershire Sauce, Siracha, Pickle Juice, and Mustard.
Miso Paste or Tahini
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Gochujang paste.
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.
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.
Shaoxing wine in my poor man’s Bulgogi inspired pot roast.
Sumac powder
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
2-3 Tbs of masa harina in a large pot of chili. It thickens and gives a subtle corny flavor. Now I want chili.
Horseradish spread for sandwiches in my coleslaw. The kick gives the slaw something special
Preserved lemon is a game changer
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.
Liquid smoke in my chicken salad.
Mascarpone cheese to thicken a “brothy” soup and give it a silky texture.
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.
Maybe they meant if your dish needs salt, you can kill two birds with one stone and exchange it for a salty umami product (that you wouldn't be able to use as much of if you had already added salt)
Load More Replies...
I can always tell if my steak hasn't been seasoned properly, ie: with salt & pepper. And a bit of salt at the end of cooking really brings out the flavors. Taste as you go, always.
I read once, that if meathave been covered in salt 1 night or such, the meat should be more tender. Just remember to wash the salt of the meat. It serms like a waste af salt to me, but i always wanted to try it
Load More Replies...
I think Schilling has a bottle labeled LOVE that sits on the spice rack. Cute and cool.
If you're using soy sauce, grated parmesan rind or bullion you're using more salt than if you'd added salt alone. They're incredibly high in sodium.
I use mushroom bouillon instead of salt sometimes. And sometimes I use both because I don't want too much umami flavor. But when I do, I reduce the amount of salt because the bouillon is already salty.
yup. adding salt without actually adding plain salt. Same result.
Load More Replies...
All those things you add have lots of sodium in them, so you should not add salt.
Love or care will help you do a better job, John. And of course the stuff she uses is loaded with salt--she uses them for seasoning because of the salt in them instead of dipping a spoon into the salt cellar.
With affection, one pays more attention= food tastes better. Bad mood, you simply don't= miscalculation, at the very least, food tastes...not better. 😁
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!
Load More Replies...
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.
Load More Replies...
Milk in place of water and salted butter- a little sprinkle of cheddar cheese on savory dishes gives a little flavor too.
Good quality parmesan on/in pretty much anything. Adds richness and salt
Low salt soy sauce... it really adds to savory dishes such as chili, meatloaf, beef casseroles or soups, baked beans, etc. It's my secret ingredient.
Truffles!!! Truffle oil! Add this when making a simple pasta dish! Truffle salt! Put on popcorn! Truffle aoli, dip for crispy fries! If you're feeling bold and have money to waste, truffle cheese for fancy mac n' cheese! I say money to waste because a small amount, maybe 50g is like ten bucks and you need more.
Celery leaves in soups freeze it then use later it does wonders for soups.
A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in my beef stew, at the end. Yum!
Lemon juice in any fruit pie. It makes it so much better by cutting the sweetness just enough that it’s perfect
Best secret for pumpkin pie - add just a tiny pinch of black pepper to the pumpkin mixture. It brings out the other spices incredibly but you won't taste pepper.
Try a bit of black bean garlic paste in a savory dish instead of just salt. It's a nice complex of flavors and adds that salty punch you want.
I don't know if all those brands are British or American, but they are not sold in the country I live in.
Coconut aminos, the soy free kind. So good as a meat marinade especially.
One Canadian YouTuber Glen and Friends advocates using Marmite as an umami booster in dishes but I haven’t tried it yet.
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!
Load More Replies... 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.
Load More Replies... Milk in place of water and salted butter- a little sprinkle of cheddar cheese on savory dishes gives a little flavor too.
Good quality parmesan on/in pretty much anything. Adds richness and salt
Low salt soy sauce... it really adds to savory dishes such as chili, meatloaf, beef casseroles or soups, baked beans, etc. It's my secret ingredient.
Truffles!!! Truffle oil! Add this when making a simple pasta dish! Truffle salt! Put on popcorn! Truffle aoli, dip for crispy fries! If you're feeling bold and have money to waste, truffle cheese for fancy mac n' cheese! I say money to waste because a small amount, maybe 50g is like ten bucks and you need more.
Celery leaves in soups freeze it then use later it does wonders for soups.
A tablespoon of balsamic vinegar in my beef stew, at the end. Yum!
Lemon juice in any fruit pie. It makes it so much better by cutting the sweetness just enough that it’s perfect
Best secret for pumpkin pie - add just a tiny pinch of black pepper to the pumpkin mixture. It brings out the other spices incredibly but you won't taste pepper.
Try a bit of black bean garlic paste in a savory dish instead of just salt. It's a nice complex of flavors and adds that salty punch you want.
I don't know if all those brands are British or American, but they are not sold in the country I live in.
Coconut aminos, the soy free kind. So good as a meat marinade especially.
One Canadian YouTuber Glen and Friends advocates using Marmite as an umami booster in dishes but I haven’t tried it yet.
