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“What Fancy Ingredient Have You Tried That Is Completely Worth The Hype?” (30 Answers)
Interview With Expert
No matter how much or how little experience we have in the kitchen, many of us have at least a handful of culinary secrets. It might be as simple as remembering to season our food well. Or how adding just a bit of butter or garlic can make a huge difference to the flavor profile of a dish. The more we’re willing to experiment, the more we can learn.
The friendly everyday cooks of the popular r/Cooking subreddit spilled the beans about the fancy ingredients that they’ve personally found to be extremely worth the expensive price tag. In their opinion, they’re completely worth the hype. Scroll down for some inspiration for the next time you want to make something new. Oh, and be warned, you might get incredibly hungry reading this!
Bored Panda reached out to famous pie artist and author Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin (@thepieous) to get her thoughts on expensive vs. cheap ingredients. You’ll find the insights she shared with us as you read on.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Real maple syrup
Sugar Shack 1 year ago
New Englander here. Maple syrup is plentiful and can be found reasonably priced. It is a staple in our fridge. I use as a sugar substitute in everything from salad dressing to whipped cream. I'm not so sure about the 99% figure being non-maple.
Madam Puddyfoot 1 year ago
Vermonter here: Try using real maple syrup in your tea, on vanilla ice cream, or to make cheesecake. Sooooo good. I go through a gallon every 6 weeks.
Jrog 1 year ago (edited)
In USA 98% of the market by volume is made by "caramel-colored, maple-flavored high fructose corn syrup". While they cannot be legally called "maple syrup", they use very similar names to create intentional confusion. Those products use highly processed sugars that are far less healthy than the simple sucrose and fructose of the real deal.
iseefractals 1 year ago
There's nothing confusing about it, the real stuff is 4 to 5 times the price, if not more, compared to the fake stuff. To say nothing of the fact that the ingredient list on real maple syrup...is one item. "Made from Maple Sap" If there's anything else on that ingredient list, it's the fake stuff. There's no confusion, people are just lazy and dumb.
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Rocket Surgeon 1 year ago
Syrup is one of those things where I much prefer the cheaper alternative.
Brocken Blue 1 year ago
Same. Real maple syrup has an overwhelming flavor, like molasses. I prefer the cheap syrup on my pancakes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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mysterious(all pronouns) 1 year ago
We've always had a lot of real syrup because my grandpa owns land with lots of sugar maples, it's excellent.
Tamra 1 year ago
Do you guys make your own maple syrup? I *love* real maple syrup, and have always been fascinated by the process of making it.
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Lika 1 year ago
I used to dislike pancakes and French toast when I was little...we always had the fake stuff and it just tasted off to me. THEN as an adult I could afford the real stuff, now I love pancakes and etc and use it on and in many other things. YUM
KittyMommy 1 year ago
You remind me of my daughter. She never wanted me to make French toast so I didn't. Finally made it and made her try it. Turns out she thought the c**p her school made was how it was supposed to taste. I use a baguette cut into thick slices, real butter, real maple syrup
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Jeff White 1 year ago
Yes, this is certainly the #1 item. I live in Michigan and, besides the world's largest fresh water supply, readily available Maple syrup is a huge plus.
geezeronthehill 1 year ago
When I lived in the north woods of Wisconsin, I tapped and boiled my own. Now I live too far south. Maple trees need a few feet of frozen ground to turn their sap sugary (sugar acts as an antifreeze). I believe West Virginia is as far south on the Appalachian chain you can produce Maple syrup.
According to pie artist Jessica, who runs a series of online baking courses at ‘The Pie Savvy,’ she looks at three main factors when choosing whether or not to splurge on ‘fancy’ ingredients or to save some money and opt for store brand options.
She looks at whether or not a particular ingredient is going to be the “star of the show,” whether it will be subjected to temperature extremes, and whether you’ll be serving your dish to “culinary fussy pants.”
“When I am going to be blending a lot of different elements together, there is less pressure on any one ingredient to carry the show, and it becomes more about the overall flavor profile and mouthfeel of the dish,” Jessica explained to Bored Panda in an email.
RELATED:
#2
High quality Olive oil. I got some from a farm in California and it was amazing. So fresh, fragrant and flavorful.
troufaki13 1 year ago
My SIL's parents have olive trees and produce their own oil, so I get it fresh every year! 😎😊 Also Greek olive oil is one of the best 🤤
Kesam 1 year ago
Same here! 😃🇬🇷 I love it when it's completely fresh and still a bit green and bitter. Sprinkle a bit of salt in and dip with bread. It's amazing. 🥰
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Hilary Gilbertson 1 year ago
I live in Spain, where olive oil is highly respected and devotedly consumed. The very best grade of oil is Extra Virgin (first cold pressing). We can also buy by varietals. All a very expensive business, but I agree it's well worth the extra.
Sans Serif 1 year ago
Well put, Hilary -- Spain produces extraordinary oils...
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Javelina Poppers 1 year ago
I'm lucky enough to live close by an olive mill and I'm a bread dipper.
Lori T Wisconsin 1 year ago
Some olive oil sold in stores is old and yucky tasting. Try buying direct from a producer/grower.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
How do you know the difference between good and high-quality olive oil? Legit question.
plantsarecool 1 year ago
The really high quality stuff will have specific origin identification (not just Spain, but a specific area/farm listed) and come in a dark, light proof container (not just glass but metal, ceramic, or coated glass). Pricing likely in the $20-$50+ range. The taste will be fresh and automatic with distinct notes of pepper, fruit, or spice, ECT. The good stuff might come in a dark glass or coated class bottle. It should also have a specific region identified, but might just say "Spain". Pricing likely in the 10-20 range. The taste should be clean & fresh, but maybe no specific notes-it might just taste like olives. My husband works as a buyer for a European and specialty food company and brings home the best olive oils (and food in general) in the world for us for free all the time. I'm very fortunate.
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Jay Cee 1 year ago
My wife and I drove to Spain for a 3 week holiday (we live in the UK) and brought back a 5 litre jug of first pressing olive oil. We were staying with the MIL while we were between houses and MIL is a GOOD cook. One evening my wife was preparing a salad and couldn't find the olive oil. Asked MIL and was told she'd used it to fry chips . . . . All 5 litres. They WERE nice chips though.
#3
I like slightly higher end butter. Kerrygold is always solid.
arthbach 1 year ago
Kerrygold has a towering reputation in the USA. People don't seem to understand that's how butter is supposed to taste. Kerrygold is fine. It's okay. It's most definitely not the best. But if Americans fed their cows on grass their dairy products would taste so much better.
JayWantsACat 1 year ago
We have good butter here. And it's not like all mass produced butter in every other country is made from grass fed cows. But its an entry about the US so can't let it go without making an asinine statement.
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Azolane 1 year ago
Coming from France and living in the US I don't understand this Kerrygold thing. It's just supermarket butter nothing more, like the Président one in France. There are far better, fresher butters out there in the US, especially if you live close to the Amish.
Sans Serif 1 year ago
Very true, not just the Amish but most any... local farm!
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Pandamonium 1 year ago
Fun fact if anyone wants to try this, but you can make butter by filling a jar up about 1/3 of the way with cream and then just shake it for a good bit. It will turn into whipped cream and then into butter. Tastes pretty good.
iseefractals 1 year ago
Meh, it's "ok" but it's also twice the price of similar - superior butter made from grass fed cows. For the price of kerrygold you can get cultured french butter that is soooo much better.
Anna Mc Manus 1 year ago
Kerry gold is from grass fed cows. There are also lots of small farm butters to be had here in Ireland. To be fair even the cheapest butter here is far superior to anything I've had in the 9 US states I've visited.
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SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
You can slap "grass fed", "organic" and all the other buzzwords on the label but at the end of the day all real butter is generally the same. You're not going to get better chocolate chip cookies by using Kerrygold, you're going to get better cookies by knowing how to bake.
“For example, if I am baking a chicken pot pie, it is less critical that the minced veggies I mix in with the meat and sauce and spices be the freshest, most artisanal of the season. But if I am preparing a dish of lightly steamed veggies with just a little lemon juice and herbs for seasoning, suddenly those subtle nuances of flavor, texture, and freshness in the vegetables become critical to the success of the dish!”
Meanwhile, the pie artist drew our attention to the fact that many of the subtle compounds and enzymes that differentiate the merely ‘ok’ ingredients from truly great ones get destroyed in the heating or freezing process.
“In blind taste tests, even master chefs can’t tell the difference between many of the high and low-end ingredients once baked. For example, if you are going to be cooking at high heat with butter or oil, the brand is a little less critical than it would be if you were to spread that butter on a piece of toast and eat it plain, or drizzle that oil on a fresh salad at room temp,” she said.
“If you are eating butter or oil unadulterated at room temperature, then it makes sense to spring for the most fresh and flavourful options.”
#4
Not fancy but something most people use. Whole nutmeg. Once I started using at rather than the pre gound stuff and I never looked back. Also good local honey from different pollinating sources. You can taste the difference between honey from bees that polinate say clover and the honey from bees that pollinate apple blossoms.
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
Probably all spices are best kept whole until use. Some spices are also better stored in fridge, but not all.
JacqSTL 1 year ago
Spices should never be kept in the fridge or above the stove. They should be stored in an airtight glass container. They don’t like heat or moisture. (Worked for a 100 yr old spice shop that sells over 450 spices.)
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I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 1 year ago
The honey bit for sure and it definitely helps using local honey especially when a new place to help ease allergies.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
So true! I have a nutmeg grinder for that very reason. There's nothing like freshly ground nutmeg on vanilla ice cream or in a recipe for banana bread.
Nikki Sevven 1 year ago
I get honey from the beekeeper down the street from me. Since my yard is a natural oasis in the middle of manicured lawns, I'm certain his bees make my yard a regular stop.
#5
Good fresh farm eggs
Karen Philpott 1 year ago
We have ducks. Their eggs are great for baking. Not so bad fried with bacon.
Jude Laskowski 1 year ago
When I lived in Idaho (USA), many of my neighbors sold fresh eggs. They would just put a sign outside their house, and I'd drive up and buy them still warm. I kept some empty egg cartons in my car. Nothing like fresh!
Angela Castro 1 year ago
I so love it when my niece or my sister-in-law's sister give me a dozen on my visits to PA! I love letting my two grandchildren pick out which colors they want for their scrambled eggs.
Brittany Copeland 1 year ago
Agreed. A farm fresh egg is almost buttery. Totally worth it, 12/10.
#6
Real aged balsamic vinegar.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
If you can't afford the good stuff (look online for better prices) then I suggest simmering the cheap version until it thickens up. Simmering will also help concentrate the flavor, although it's not as good as the expensive aged stuff, it does make it better. Also this how you can make your own Balsamic syrup/glaze....don't buy it, simmer it until it reaches the desired consistency....way better than any prepackaged Balsamic glaze (even using cheaper Balsamic vinegar). If you can, try to buy a mid-priced Balsamic and do the above, it will last longer because you don't have to use as much.
Load More Replies... Nae who and where 1 year ago
I'm happy to buy excellent quality Balsamic vinegar. I look at it like a fine wine or bourbon, aging makes it so much better and high quality also. I love a really good Balsamic vinegar.
Jude Laskowski 1 year ago
I used to love balsamic vinegar, but now my stomach can't deal with it. Bummer.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
This would make me incredibly sad... I'm sad for you
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Max Fox 1 year ago
You can also take cheaper stuff and cook it for a bit with sugar to produce a half way decent substitute.
Nae who and where 1 year ago (edited)
You don't even need sugar, just pour the entire bottle into a small pot, bring to a simmer and then simmer until reduced by at least half. If you want Balsamic glaze don't buy it, do the above and simmer until about 1/3 is left. Simmering concentrates the flavors and evaporates the water in it making it sweeter and yummiest. Edit: then store in the original bottle as you would any vinegar....on the shelf. No refrigeration needed.
Load More Replies... Jeff White 1 year ago
Agreed that the real stuff is clearly MUCH better, but also agree that this is perhaps a budget buster compared to other options.
Jrog 1 year ago (edited)
Another product that in the USA basically does not exist, with 99,9% of the market made by artificially flavored vinegar with some creative labeling. Real balsamic vinegar takes 12 to 25 years to mature and is quite expensive, starting at 100$ a bottle, so most of the market today is cheap red vinegar with added caramel, artificial flavors and a short ageing in wood chips.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 1 year ago
Wrong. Balsamic vinegar is regularly imported into the US. Just making up statistics as you go?
Load More Replies...Moreover, you have to consider your culinary audience. Who exactly are you cooking for? Are they going to be able to tell the difference between high-end and low-end ingredients?
“I don’t bother busting out the hand-grated truffles for my kid’s mac n' cheese… but I might if I had some foodie friends over who I knew would appreciate the subtle distinction! If I am dealing with a dinner guest who I know has a particularly sophisticated palate, I may opt for the more expensive ingredients (or offer a cheeky mix of dishes with higher and lower-end ingredients to see if they can tell the difference!),” Jessica shared with Bored Panda.
#7
I dunno if this counts, but homemade chicken stock. Some people are equating fancy with expensive or rare, which is valid. The first time I tasted an aged balsamic I was blown away, spent 20 minutes trying to convince myself not to spend $50 on a tiny bottle of vinegar, failed and bought it, and I have not regretted it. It’s so good. But when I’m feelin real fancy, I make stock. I made my last stock with 5lb of chicken drumsticks on sale for $4, a cleaver, a carrot, a shallot, a celery, a bay leaf, a vinegar, peppercorns, water, and an electric pressure cooker. That might not sound fancy, but the product is so far beyond those boxed stocks. Just, unbelievably beyond you don’t understand till you’ve done it. The effort and quality is what makes homemade stock fancy for me, not the price or rarity.
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
Oh yes, good broth is amazing. From time to time we buy chicken, pork or beef bones and make strong broth. Sometimes we bake the bones first to make it even stronger. We make a lot of broth (no vegetables, just bones and spices) and can it for later use. You want soup? Fry some veggies and add a jar of broth. You want some sauce? Add small jar. It makes everything amazing.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
Roasting the bones first is a great thing to do! I also like the veggies sometimes, really brings out deeper flavors!
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Jennik 1 year ago
If you want to go to a little extra effort, try sprinkling your chicken (can be drumsticks but I use a frame or wings as I don't need the meat) with milk powder and roast before using in stock. The flavour is incredible.
The Starsong Princess 1 year ago
I save chicken, duck and turkey bones along with the ends of onions etc. in a baggie in my freezer. Toss it all in the instant pot with some celery, carrots, garlic, peppercorns and a bay leaf. Cover with water and cook at high pressure for two hours. Strain and reduce by 1/3 to half. You need to reduce it if you want stock rather than broth. It is amazing and so easy.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
Homemade stock of any kind is best! When my mom couldn't eat solid foods for almost a year, I made her tons and tons of stocks so she could still get nutrients (along with smoothies and a few foods that could be pureed and not taste horrible). Anytime I make soup or most anything that calls for stock/broth (there's a difference but I always use stock which is cooked with veggies) I use homemade. A tip for making and storing stock: after cooking, place cooled stock into labeled ziplock bags, freeze flat on a sheet pan and once frozen solid, can either stand them up in the freezer or stack them since they're nice and flat. Also, get as much air out as possible!
Huddo's sister 1 year ago
I freeze mine in silicone moulds then put into freezer bags.
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Lola Rogers 1 year ago
I've recently discovered that I can make divine stock from leftover bones and veggies in my pressure cooker in about an hour and a half: 1/2 hour on high pressure, open it up and smash everything, then high pressure for another 1/2 hour. I get the same gelatin-rich, milky stock that it takes hours to make with normal boiling.
Jeevesssssss 1 year ago
I eat a LOT of chicken wings. The bones make brilliant stock. I buy the kind that still have wing tips (I live nibbling at them) and they make the stock gelatinous after just a few hours simmering.
GirlFriday 1 year ago
Thisity this this THIS! Wing tips are a necessity in broth for me.
Load More Replies... Thomas Ewing 1 year ago
A 10% increase in cost can double the flavor quality, so DON'T SCRIMP!
Plant Fanatic 1 year ago
chicken broth most definitely. I also have beef, pork and ham broth-frozen for later use. I am so hooked. I like baking the bones, with carrots, celery, potatoes and onions-what ever I have in the fridge. Then, put everything in the pan, juices and all. I am now hungry.
#8
Parmesan reggiano. Maldon salt. Berkshire pork.Good Scotch.
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
Good Scotch? I think that applies to all alcohol. There is huge taste difference between bad rum and good rum and the price can vary by 10% only. Personally I would suggest Flor de Caña, it is great rum with price tag similar to Bacardi, but it tastes much better.
Jrog 1 year ago
True, but there is much more variability in whisky than in rum. Scotch whisky alone has five different variations depending on the origin, since Scotland underwent industrialization at a very uneven pace and the traditional whisky manufacturing processes developed according to what was available and could be imported at the time. Some are peated, some are coal fired (depending on the availability of a railway), some use grain some use blend of cereals, the type of barrel used changes in relation to what kind of wine used to be moved through the local port... Irish, Japanese, Boubon, all have distinct processes and characteristics. Ignoring for a while the abominations known as "spiced rums", with the exception of the "agricole" varieties the only variability in rum is the quantity of molasses left or added in the production process.
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LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
I adore a true Parmigiano Reggiano. It has this wonderfully nutty and sometimes fruity taste, and a somewhat "gritty" texture. Once you have the true stuff it is hard to every go back. Also an aged peaty scotch is divine. I used to be very spoiled as there was a scotch distillery very close to where I used to live in Scotland.
Jrog 1 year ago (edited)
"Parmesan" is a knockoff brand. The real deal is named "Parmigiano Reggiano". "Grana Padano" is a decent substitute, at about half the price; mostly same, there are just minimal differences in the production process.
Mama Penguin 1 year ago
Costco has actual Parmigiano Reggiano and reasonably priced, too.
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gerard julien 1 year ago
"Armagnac is the oldest brandy (and liquor) recorded to be still distilled in the world.
Armagnac is traditionally distilled once, resulting in alcohol content between 52% and 60%. The result is a more fragrant and flavorful spirit than cognac, where double distillation takes place." 525px-Arma...b548fb.jpg 
Jay Cee 1 year ago
Our neighbour next to our holiday home, in the Charente Maritime admittedly not Gascony, had his own, perfectly legal, still with a lead customs seal and everything. He sadly died 15 years ago but I still have left half a litre of his 68% "eau de vie" (Cognac? Watered down with caramel added to give it colour!) distilled in 1968 and bottled in in 1990 which is so volatile it evaporates before it gets to the back of the throat.
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#9
Nothing in particular...but I'm always skeptical when someone gets a cheeseboard that has a ridiculously expensive cheese...like there's no way this is worth 50 dollars a pound or whatever...and every time I eat it and my words.
Upstaged75 1 year ago (edited)
I love cheese - of course I do! I love it on almost anything. But I've never understood the appeal of just eating a hunk of it plain. So cheese boards are kinda weird to me. My brother on the other hand will happily eat an entire block of cheese in one sitting. And then spend the next 2 hours farting like crazy. :)
Maartje 1 year ago
A lactose intolerant cheese lover is weeping silent tears. I can still eat some cheeses though.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
Try using a lactase supplement. You can find it in the digestive aids section of your pharmacy. I use it; now I can enjoy dairy products, without issues.
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eMpTy 1 year ago
as long as it is a triple cream brie (preferably from King Island, an island just north of Tasmania)
Load More Replies... Raumpfleger 1 year ago
Most times the difference to cheap cheese is just the time it's given to age. I always buy the better of the cheap ones and forget them in the pantry for at least a month. Oh, and ignore the due date completely when it comes to cheese as long as there's no mold on it that's not supposed to be there.
I heart Boo-BI-es 1 year ago
Seeing this picture, made me want cheese. So now I'm eating the so not fancy, but still good, Colby jack.
Ryan-James O'Driscoll 1 year ago
Cheese is one of those things that is only worth it to those who appreciate it. An expensive cheeseboard would be lost on me. Spend money on the cheeses you like. Spending money on cheeses you don't will not make it better.
In our personal experience, what matters the most is the freshness of the ingredients, as well as the flavor profiles and combinations you create. The price isn’t necessarily all that important. If an ingredient is ‘in season’ or locally produced, you can get it at a relatively low price, even if it’s a delicious part of your dishes.
Meanwhile, if you’re willing to spend more of your time to save money, you can compare and contrast the prices at your local stores, mom-and-pop groceries, and outdoor markets. Even a bit of research—combined with some charismatic haggling—can help you get what you want and keep your wallet happy.
However, this probably won’t work all the time. Some ingredients like honey, olive oil, and maple syrup are very sought after. And the ‘real thing’ is genuinely expensive due to its high quality and massive demand. So unless you’ve got a network of trustworthy suppliers on speed dial, you’ll probably need to shell out the big bucks to get your hands on the top-shelf stuff.
#10
Smoked paprika....
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
All paprika. Also, there should be a number on the pack, it is called ASTA. On average you will get 100, maybe 120 units, but you want to get paprika with 180. I know, it costs a bit more, but you will use much less! And you will love the smell and the color.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
Smoked paprika is divine. It was frequently used in dishes when I worked and lived in Spain.
Jennik 1 year ago
I love my smoked paprika. I always have three types on hand: sweet, bittersweet, and hot (which is, indeed, HOT!). I'm happy to use it quite generously, but even a small amount will add depth and complexity to tomato-based sauces.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
I too have multiple types of both smoked and non-smoked. I thought I was the only one lol
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#11
Cardamom. It is just ridiculously tasty in baked goods.
Cinnamon 1 year ago
Allrecipes.com has a great chai sugar cookie recipe you should check out. I refrigerate for two hours after mixing the ingredients before I roll the dough balls and bake. Perfection!
Load More Replies... Tamra 1 year ago
That sounds amazing! Do you just steep the cardamom pods with black tea?
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#12
Fresh, good coffee beans.
Rachknits 1 year ago
Definitely. There's a huge difference between using freshly roasted and ground beans compared to the ready ground stuff you can buy at the supermarket
Ace 1 year ago
Freshly ground, sure, but roasted beans keep for quite a long time as long as they're well sealed.
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Kelly H. Wilder 1 year ago (edited)
This is absolute truth. I don't typically like coffee, but a friend from Ethiopia invited me to participate in their coffee ceremony. She roasted the beans right in front of me. Everything smelled so amazing! She served the coffee in very small cups that were works of art in their own right. The coffee was simply perfect. I've never enjoyed a drink quite as much as I did that coffee.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
This is so true! A friend of mine imports green coffee beans from her families plantation in Vietnam, she roasts them here, packages and sells them. Some of the best coffee I've ever had! We also have a coffee shop here that roasts their own beans in shop, it smells so good and the coffee is delicious!
Patrick Bristow 1 year ago
Not disagreeing, but start with making coffee properly. Always use 2 tbsp per 6 oz of water. If too strong (it is for most), dilute the *finished* product, instead of putting more water over the grounds. A higher water to grounds ratio pulls nasty bitter flavors out of the beans. Even cheap coffee can be drastically improved by doing this.
detective miller's hat 1 year ago
I just discovered Spring-Heel'd Jack Coffee and I may never go back.
You can do some simple tests to check whether you’ve gotten your paws on real (aka ‘natural’ or ‘raw’) honey or the fake (aka mass-produced) kind. Real honey is what bees make: you’ll most often find it in a jar, and it is, through and through, honey and nothing else.
On the other hand, fake honey has various additives, from dyes and sugar to flavors. This sort of honey might be made from syrups or sugar solutions and might have nothing to do with bees at all. Fake honey tends to immediately dissolve in water, while real honey will sink. It also spreads if you place it on your finger, unlike natural honey, which tends to keep its form.
Forbes notes that there are reliable reports that around 80% of all the Italian olive oil that can be found on the global market is fraudulent. If you use lots of olive oil in your daily life (like we do), it’s quite possible that you don’t have ‘the real thing’ in your kitchen. It might be a low-quality knock-off that’s passed off as virgin or extra virgin olive oil. Or it might be a completely different oil that’s been modified to look like what it’s meant to copy. Even the ‘certification’ printed on the labels can be faked. To say that we feel betrayed is an understatement.
#13
Good quality peppercorns for freshly cracked pepper.
nancy 1 year ago
I don't know why, but I've always preferred the ordinary pepper you find in the pepper shaker at a diner. I refer to it as "pulverized" pepper... i know it's not even close to good quality peppercorns, but I prefer it on my sandwiches.
Papa 1 year ago
I won't criticize you for it, but that baffles me. I was 60 years ago before I started using fresh ground pepper, and I'll never go back.
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JayWantsACat 1 year ago
I started grinding my own pepper years ago and I'll never go back to pre-ground. It's so much better.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
This too! Same friend I mentioned in reply to the coffee one also imports peppercorns from her family's plantation, so fragrant, good floral notes, great spice, overall very delicious and absolutely the best peppercorns I've ever had.
Marilyn Russell 1 year ago
I always use fresh pepper I grind in my mortar and pestle now. Mostly because I’ve bought several pepper grinders that have just fallen apart quickly because things just aren’t made well anymore. Not like the one my mother had for 30+ years. It smells so good when it’s freshly cracked.
Max Fox 1 year ago
Warning - there are two types of pink peppercorns, and one is not pepper. They are related to cashews and anybody who is allergic to tree nuts will have an allergic reaction to pink peppercorns.
Dillon Sizemore 1 year ago
Did you know that the cashew is closely related to poison ivy and if you have a severe poison ivy allergy cashews may trigger it if eaten in a large enough quantity?
Load More Replies... SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
Peppercorns are peppercorns. There's no "name brand/fancy" and "generic" here. I hope anyone that uses them knows you have to toast them first.
#14
High quality mustard
iseefractals 1 year ago
mustard is so stupidly easy to make. Ground, whole seed, doesn't matter, add ICE COLD, water and let it sit for 15 minutes. It will be shockingly spicey. When you add vinegar it stops the reaction that makes it spicey so taste along the way if you don't want it too overpowering, Tumeric for color and then you can add honey, jalapeno's or whatever you like in a mustard.
Dan Holden 1 year ago
I'm curious, why add tumeric for colour? I mean tumeric has health benefits, so I don't see anything wrong with adding some. But if you're only adding for colour, what's the point?
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wayne whitson 1 year ago
"Pardon Me, Do You Have Any Grey Poupon"? My late mother (with bad eyesight) called it "Gay Poop-On".
Jeff White 1 year ago
Great response. I used to hate "mustard" until I had some real mustard. Now I love it and the yellow stuff can go die.
#15
Black garlic. Thank you Bob’s Burgers for that tasty treat.
Drippy Potato 1 year ago
I know black garlic has a different taste profile to normal garlic, but it doesn't sound like it'd go well with ganache. What's the flavor profile when it's put in the ganache?
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Sarah Schumm 1 year ago
Upvote for Bob’s Burgers, sadness because I have a garlic intolerance. I can eat it, but I’ll be sick for a week.
Broadly speaking, when it comes to olive oil, you’re likely buying a fake if the price is low and you’re taking the bottle from a random shelf at your local grocery store. You’d think that the situation was better in Italy, but this isn’t the case. Around half of all the olive oil found on the country’s shelves is thought to be fake.
If fake honey and low-quality olive oil weren’t enough of a headache, you might want to check if your maple syrup is real, too. Real maple syrup is made from maple tree sap, which is boiled down.
Fake maple syrup, on the other hand, is simply a cheaper, mass-produced pancake syrup that might have nothing to do with maple trees at all. They’re chock full of sweeteners and coloring.
What expensive ingredients, in your experience, have been totally worth the cost, dear Pandas? On the flip side, what are some cheap(er) ingredients that you feel everybody should consider buying? Tell us what you think in the comments! We always enjoy hearing from you.
#16
Vanilla bean paste
Nadine Debard 1 year ago
Whole vanilla beans for me. I use the empty pod in a jar of sugar and I have my own vanilla sugar.
Kate Koppen 1 year ago
yes, this. Do it whenever you use vanilla, completely forget about the jars for ten years, and it is the most _amazing_ vanilla sugar ever.
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Lisbeth Guz 1 year ago
Real vanilla is the best, my favorite ice cream is vanilla, but the real thing, not mass produced.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
Good vanilla can give some baked goods delicious caramelly, slightly boozy notes.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
I love using vanilla, I keep and use it in every form it comes in, but only the real stuff....no imitation in my house! Lots of vanilla beans, paste, high quality extract, even powder and of course I make my own vanilla sugar and even extract sometimes with leftover pods.
Marilyn Russell 1 year ago
I’ve made my own vanilla with pods i ordered online and vodka when I used to do more baking.
jonesnori 1 year ago
I do this. I have a jar I've kept going for years. I top it up with more vodka whenever it gets a couple of tablespoons down, and every year or so I add another vanilla bean. It's so good!
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#17
Gruyère cheese for macaroni and cheese.
LokisLilButterknife 1 year ago
Now I'm craving macaroni and cheese. I used a delicious caramelised onion and chive cheddar from a local farmer's market for my sauce when I lived in Scotland. Sadly, I just can't find an equivalent in the U.S.-- mind you, I have still found some really delicious farm made cheeses here. I kind of want to call my relatives and friends up and ask if they can send me some.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
When I make mac and cheese I always make my own cheese blend with at least 3 cheeses, but generally 5 lol, Gruyère is one of my staples for mac and cheese and is always included, fontina as well
Marilyn Russell 1 year ago
The best recipe for Mac and cheese is Martha Stewart’s I’ve found. It’s an occasion to make it. I like using scoobi-do pasta. It uses Gruyère and cheddar but I also add Parmesan. I also put some Dijon in the sauce. Always extra bread crumb topping too.
DarkViolet 1 year ago
Especially when reheating mac and cheese. Less oil than cheddar.
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TrippyBanana 1 year ago
Yes!! I have a somked gouda and munster for Mac n cheese. I knew I was missing gruyere
#18
Saffron is amazing
Kate Koppen 1 year ago
My uncle is adamant it tastes of nothing, I don't know what's wrong with him, real saffron is _intense_.
Marilyn Russell 1 year ago
I like making risotto Milanese once in a while. Italians are gonna be mad because I started using my Instant Pot.
Stargazer Lily 1 year ago
Surprisingly easy to grow. I started mine last year and only picked a small amount, but the fragrance was divine. Before I dried it, the smell reminded me of fresh peaches and honey.
Pittsburgh rare 1 year ago (edited)
The labour justifies the price, the flavour not so much imo. I'm from one of the top producer countries and a lot of people here just ignore it because it's ridiculously expensive and not worth the splurge.
#19
Chef here…REAL truffles and truffle oil….I swear it’s easier to get pure cocaine than real truffle oil.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
You won't WANT to eat if you use the cocaine! It's great for weight loss! XD Sadly speaking from experience. Been clean for 2 1/2 years though :)
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Jrog 1 year ago
There is no such thing as "real" truffle oil for sale. Either you make it yourself, or what you are buying is cheap vegetal oil added with 2,4-dithiapentane.
BiteMyShiny 1 year ago
Real truffle oil is available. It is insanely expensive as the truffles used to make it are insanely expensive. All the cheap stuff is fake though.
Load More Replies... SonicAlchemy 1 year ago
"Chef here", too, and I absolutely hate truffles in any capacity. Yes, I've had to work with them raw and as an oil many times in my career but once I became the man up in this piece they've always been banned from any menu I'm in charge of. It's the smell, mostly.
Caessy Meschar 1 year ago
The picture doesn't show real truffles, these are black summer truffles, they are much cheaper and don't have the high quality that white winter truffles have, if you're already using a picture then use the right one. Black summer truffles don't even cost a quarter of what white winter truffles cost.
You stole that from Robocop 1 year ago
It's taken me a while to like truffle. Every restaurant (including Michelin* places) use far too much, ended up having a conversation about it with the staff at the Lansdowne because one of their courses was a posh fry up and they'd used white truffle which was really mild and enhanced the dish rather than flat out killing it. I've worked my way up from white summer truffles to all of them. As long as it's balanced it's good. I still don't trust restaurants with it.
Jackie Lulu 1 year ago
On a trip to Italy, I found that I can't taste truffle! Guess I lack the truffle gene.
Karen Philpott 1 year ago
I've got some truffle oil. Just magic. I use it to cook my steaks. Just a little, and I've only a little tiny bottle, goes a long way.
#20
Harder to find wild mushrooms like morels, chanterelles, and maitakes. I hate that they cost so damn much. I’m looking forward to moving to a place where I can forage.
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 1 year ago
Oregon is the place for OP. They're everywhere in the Coast Range.
Nae who and where 1 year ago
I was going to say "come to Oregon or Washington then". We have edible mushrooms all over the place here in Oregon. Our temperate rainforest helps make it an ideal environment. You can literally buy these mushrooms all over if you aren't comfortable or don't want to forage.
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Jennie P 1 year ago
I used to be willing to pay a lot for fresh morels in season, until I left some in the 'fridge for a few days before eating them. When I began to saute them, many, many little white worms came out of all the crevices. I looked it up and these worms are common in morels. I never ate another.
Stargazer Lily 1 year ago
I think I'd give up eating anything for a few weeks after that. What's worse than finding a worm in your mushrooms? Finding half a worm!
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Momma Jess 1 year ago
I was born and raised in central Illinois, morel season is always the best
Angela Castro 1 year ago
Those years when a maitake or two grow out of one of the oaks at my brother's farm in PA. He keeps it for me, and I prepare it and freeze the portions, using it in just the right dish.
You stole that from Robocop 1 year ago
Maitake are quite common in the UK now but I remember visiting my mate in France. The supermarket had trompettes, chanterelles, girolles, etc and I was in heaven, I loaded up with about €50 of mushrooms, security started following me which was hilarious. Anyway, I came home and used them in everything, starting with a risotto. Gorgeous.
#21
Roquefort cheese and smoked aged garlic. Ruinously expensive, but takes pasta sauce from "that was lovely, cheers" to *silent weeping at the beauty of the world.*
Mia Black 1 year ago
My SO bought a tiny smoker (a sewing machine is bigger) and sometimes smokes cooked eggs and garlic in it. Then makes an egg or potato salad with both ingredients. I am not a big fan of smoked stuff but especially the garlic is wonderful. You can even just smear it on fresh roasted bread
#22
Not really fancy, but parmigiana reggiano is really *the* only parmesan. Sichaun peppercorns for Chinese stir frys, grass fed ground beef for grilled burgers, local honeys as opposed to most any store brands.
iseefractals 1 year ago
It's not a filler, it's used to prevent caking and clumping. But yes, it's enough reason to never buy pre-grated cheese.
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Jody Whitmarsh 1 year ago
Local honey is excellent if you have local allergies.. it helps build an immunity to the pollens.. also, it supports the bees and tastes delicious
Pittsburgh rare 1 year ago
The only thing I'm particular about is honey. It has to be local, raw and unfiltered. The supermarket cheap honey is half honey from dubious sources half sugar syrup.
Karen Philpott 1 year ago
Most beef in NZ is grass fed. It would be difficult to find feed lot beef here.
Kesam 1 year ago
It's correct English. 'Most' can be used as a synonym of 'almost.'
Load More Replies... #23
Triple creme brie and callebaut chocolate.
Donkeywheel 1 year ago
“Triple creme brie” How is it legal to let them use such a name. This belongs in a trash.
Jrog 1 year ago (edited)
"Double crème" and "Triple crème" are technical terms to indicate the quality of French Brie. They must be made with 100% raw cow’s milk and full-fat cream. "Double crème" must have at least 60% fat content, while "Triple crème" must exceed 75%, calculated on the weight of the dry matter. Typically, that translates to 30-35% of fat in the double variety, and 35-40 for the triple. More fat means more taste and smoother texture, so both qualities are usually considered premium products.
Load More Replies... DarkViolet 1 year ago
That's a good brand. I've been to the factory in Petaluma, CA. If you ever have the opportunity to go there, ask for a sample of their Schloss cheese; you won't regret it.
#24
Canned San Marzano tomatoes for pasta sauce. Changed everything.
Der Kommissar 1 year ago (edited)
Rao's or Carbone's pasta sauce is even better than mama used to make
Remi (He/Him) 1 year ago
I gave Coop's passata a try a couple of months back and gotta say, never again! It was effing bitter. Just sticking to mutti from now on
#25
I'm Asian, so here's something a bit different: - Real baijiu for Chinese stirfries (vs ordinary shao xing wine) - Real sake for Japanese dishes (vs ordinary ryoshiru) - Ceremonial-grade matcha - Legit fermented fish sauce (this is cheap in general, but the premium ones are really good - there are fake stuff made with just the extract plus artificial caramel coloring and salt 😠) - Fermented soy sauce (again, cheap in general but the higher grades from small artisans in Japan are just...🤤) - Real local vinegar (i especially hate it when there's additional citric acid in a bottled brand. I buy from small local producers) Arborio rice, basmati rice (thought i could get away with using normal everyday rice because these two are expensive here but i'm a believer now)
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
People put citric acid in vinegar? Or in other words, people fake vinegar?
Cthulhu Kitty 1 year ago
Real black aged vinegar and real mirin that isn't just water and corn syrup can be really hard to find even in major metro areas
Kata Székely 1 year ago
Basmati is my one true love. As for soy sauce, the first time I decided to splurge and buy kikkoman (the fanciest you can get where I'm from), I pretty much squealed. Now I *refuse* to buy cheap soy sauce. I'm always a bit sceptical when I see major differences in price, but with soy sauce it's just not worth skimping. The difference is just immense.
Nikki Sevven 1 year ago
I recently bought basmati after a lifetime of Carolina long grain. I'll never go back. Basmati has a nuttiness reminiscent of buttered popcorn that can't be beat.
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 1 year ago
I don't eat fish and I've actually used fish sauce in cooking and been pleasantly surprised!
#26
Luxardo cherries for cocktails.
Seems insane to spend $20 on a jar that small of anything, let alone something that I go through in like a month or two. But it’s now just a non-negotiable part of my budget.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Ah now this is how I'm outed as a peasant. I tried them, and I much prefer the fluorescent red ones á la 1960s cocktail
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
Yes! My mother always keeps a GIANT jar of the fluorescent red ones in the fridge; ever since I was a kid there was ALWAYS a jar of Maraschino cherries in the fridge. I love them. My mother can go through an entire huge jar in two days. This is one of the many reasons she is obese XD
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Dan Holden 1 year ago
I would try one if I came across this particular brand, but are they really that special? Maraschino cherries are typically a hard pass for me. I really don't get the appeal.
Kookamunga 1 year ago
You can get a huge can of these on Amazon for $90! I'm intrigued. 90-bucks-6...a6ef06.jpg 
Lyuben Petkov 1 year ago
Luxardo has also very good Spritz - totally fine for drinks (instead of Aperol)
Brittany Copeland 1 year ago
Luxardos are about 40 cents a pop, if you go retail. A large can is several hundred.
Selene Yue 1 year ago (edited)
They are sweeter and less sour, and crunchier in texture. I think they're slightly earthy whereas Amarena are more fruity. I feel like there's a place for both in different cocktails as the flavor profiles are quite different. We keep both types in the cupboard.
Load More Replies... #27
Cured meats like real Iberico ham. Oh my god, get the f**k out of my way and gimme.
Ace 1 year ago
"Like" real Iberico? No, there are loads of places with special local ham recipes, and they're all good in their own way, but there is nothing "like" Iberico, made from the meat of 'Pata Negra' pigs exclusively fed on acorns. It just melts in the mouth.
David Wallin 1 year ago
I've also purchased the fresh meat from these pigs (the parts they don't cure). Wow; even the tenderloin has amazing flavor.
Fergus Corgi 1 year ago
I forget that I don't eat pork when there is Iberico ham in front of me 😆
Pittsburgh rare 1 year ago
I've lived near some of the famous DOPs. I've had the best stuff (gifted, l could never afford that much), and while I agree, l still prefer good quality cured chorizo. La Rioja or León product.
#28
Not really fancy but I’m f*****g heavily with shallots right now
Mary Kelly 1 year ago
shallots are a game changer...great flavor, and great if you're cooking for a smaller number of people
Fergus Corgi 1 year ago
Kids who claimed to not like onions in their food but didn't seem to mind shallots at all. Apparently they don't get all "slimy". Who knows. I'll take it 🤣
#29
Duck fat. It makes roasted veggies amazing.
Jay Cee 1 year ago (edited)
No, beef dripping for fried potatoes, goose fat for roasties.
Load More Replies... Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
Duck fat is something you don't really need to buy as is. Buy a whole duck and put it in an oven, you will have a good amount of fat in an hour or so.
Auntriarch 1 year ago (edited)
I confit most meats, and strain the fat and freeze it for next time. It becomes wondrously flavoured
v 1 year ago
Possibly if you're gathering duck fat off of meals made at home. I bought some from the grocery one time because everybody kept talking about angels singing and all that. It didn't make my food any better than when cooked in bacon grease. The problem with mass market animal fats such as store bought duck fat and bacon grease is that they are rendered in water so that the fat is clear/clean. The detriment to this method is that there are none of the other flavor compounds that actually add flavor to the food being cooked.
Patrick Bristow 1 year ago
Kudos to the Tattooed Moose in Charleston, SC for making me a believer in this.
I_imagine_even_worse_w***s 1 year ago (edited)
I'm more partial to goosefat myself, nothing beats roast parsnips basted in goose fat. Except maybe chips 🍟 (fries for the non irish or uk people)
Curry on... 1 year ago
Thought of buying a duck over the holidays. $40. Goose $130. No fat for me.
#30
Bone marrow. It’s like beef butter it’s amazing.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Oh I love that stuff. Luckily no-one else in the family does. Mr Auntriarch bought me a marrow spoon a few Christmases ago.
Šimon Špaček 1 year ago
It was one of favorite snacks of my grandpa. Fresh bread with bone marrow and garlic (and pinch of salt).
Stargazer Lily 1 year ago
My grandfather used to spread it on bread. I think it was something he had as a child during the war. You wasted NOTHING! I just can't do it.
Fergus Corgi 1 year ago
I convinced my husband to try it. I will always treasure that look of boyish wonder on his face 😍
Jude Laskowski 1 year ago
My mother used to buy bones with marrow for our dog. He loved licking the insides.
Brittany Copeland 1 year ago
I wish I could get my hands on it around here.... it's ridiculous.
#31
Fancy flaky salt like Maldon. Ridiculous price but makes a huge difference for anything that you would sprinkle with salt before serving, like salads or roasted veggies.
Cathy Jo Baker 1 year ago
Well, mine is from the Maras salt flats in Peru! I win! hahahaha!
Load More Replies... Nicole Weymann 1 year ago
...and do NOT use it to season pasta water, soup or anything else that dissolves it, unless you feel like burning money. Flakey salt gets ist special taste from its texture - meaning once it dissolves the effect is gone. Cooking pasta/soup with it and claiming its superior quality is a real life study of the placebo effect in action.
Eastendbird 1 year ago
I grew up a few miles from Maldon and went to school there. When I was young it was very much a product that only locals used, couldn't believe it when it became famous!
CooperDooper81 1 year ago
Put it in the smoker for a while, or any decent rock salt. Amazing. I put a little smoked salt and pepper on my cheese and crackers.
Auntriarch 1 year ago
Smoked salt is amazing. Maldon do a smoked version which I always have some in
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Alethea Fletcher 1 year ago
I make a homemade salt mix, and the only salt that I will use is Maldon. Christmas just gone, everyone I know (that I do gifts for) asked for my salt mix. Easiest gifting ever!
#32
Ceylon cinnamon, instead of the cassia cinnamon that's usually in grocery stores. Ceylon is true cinnamon, less toxic in large quantities, and the one that's good for your blood sugar. I buy Frontier Ceylon from Vitacost. Real, dark maple syrup Block parmesan instead of the shake jar
Ace 1 year ago
Never heard the naming distinction, must be a US thing. Elsewhere you buy Cinnamon or you buy Cassia Bark. They're not the same and would never be substituted for each other.
Amanda Fondaumiere 1 year ago
The distinction is not taught here unfortunately
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SleepSycho 1 year ago
A portion of powdered Parmesan is actually sawdust. Only in america. Bon appetit!
#33
I'm such an apple snob, but life is too short to eat Gala apples, much less Red Delicious. Honeycrisp is my low-end, but I prefer Washington State-grown Envy Apples, British Columbia Salish Apples, Lucy GLO or Lucy Rose Apples, Cosmic Crisp, SugarBee, or a few other varietals. I will eat a Fuji Apple in a pinch, and I use Granny Smith for charcuterie or salads sometimes. Ambrosia Apples are alright too. But those are all apples I'll only eat in the off-season, and lately, I've been able to get New Zealand Envy Apples during the off-season. My daily mid-morning snack is a high quality apple and Dark Roast Peanut Butter.
Mia Black 1 year ago
Boskop ist my apple I always prefer for baking. But now I have to think about dark roasted peanut butter - I want one! Sounds like it would become my most favourite spread but I don't think I can get it here ....
MagicJacket 1 year ago
Honeycrisp are like crack. So GOOD! Cosmic Crisp is a close facsimile to those. And less expensive.
Biofish23 1 year ago
There are definitely some better apple varieties available at the grocery store these days, but the only apples I'm actually going to get excited about are the ones I get right at the orchard in early September. I'm lucky enough to live just a few minutes from a wonderful orchard with a bunch of heirloom varieties of apple, but even a plain Macintosh straight off the tree can be delicious.
Alethea Fletcher 1 year ago
I used to love apples, but they always made my mouth tingle, and if I peeled them, my hands would erupt in hives and blisters. Took me going into anaphylaxis after a smoothie (made with apples as the base fruit) for me to realise I am actually allergic! What was 'just' an oral allergy grew huge because I ignored it 🤦♀️. I now have to avoid pretty much all tree fruit, apples and pears being the worst. Oral allergy really isn't something to ignore, as I learnt.
Regina Holt 1 year ago
OMG, I'm like this with coconut. as soon as it gets into my mouth (like hidden in a cookie) I have to spit it out. The feeling in my mouth is just horrible, feels like my tongue swells, and throat feels funny. I do tell folks I'm allergic to coconut, but now I'm worried about it leading up to anaphlaxis. Maybe spitting it out right away is the best I can do.
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Terry Tobias 1 year ago
I'd rate our western NY local apples as good as Washington state's any day! I live in apple country and my mom always had bushels of apples stored in our basement every winter. My grandmother would take us kids to the orchard where we'd get apples, fresh cider, and fried-cake donuts every fall. Pumpkins for Halloween too. Great memories!
Regina Holt 1 year ago
for me, it has to be crispy, and tart. I like the bite into a good crisp apple. I don't even consider "Red Delicious" real apples. They were something that was created for shipping purposes. They hold up better than real apples for shipping long distances.
SleepSycho 1 year ago (edited)
Just discovered Lucy glo and rose… on a totally different level. now eating apples on the regular, craving them, instead of just getting for kids. U know your stuff 🫡
#34
Ghee. The real kind. Everything tastes so much better.
deejak 1 year ago
Ghee is what you get when you slowly burn off the water and brown the solids in butter (aka clarified). Great on popcorn, because without the water, doesn't cause soggy popcorn. Hit that ghee with some msg too.
Philly Bob Squires 1 year ago
Popcorn with Ghee and Australian chicken salt!!
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#35
Capers
Zaphod 1 year ago
Capers are little salty/tangy/tart green balls of goodness. They are expensive if you buy a small jar, but cheap if you get a pint.
WindySwede 1 year ago
really good in for example french potato sallad, and some sauces!
Load More Replies... cerinamroth 1 year ago
I adore capers! Any white fish dredged in flour, lightly fried and served with caper butter and lemon juice is the simplest, quickest and most delicious meal!
#36
I haven’t tried this but watching the Salt Fat Acid Heat documentary made me want real soy sauce. If anyone has seen the documentary the salt episode was probably my favorite segment of the series.
#37
Freshly grated Wasabi (as opposed to green colored horseradish)
BiteMyShiny 1 year ago
Definitely try it. It is expensive though, compared to the green horseradish "wasabi"
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#38
A proper pesto made the right way in Genoa Italy. With warm bread for dipping.
iseefractals 1 year ago
This is another thing that is easily replicated at home basil, pine nuts, Parmesan, Pecorino, garlic, oil and salt. That's it. It's a 15 minute process, that requires only a mortar and pestle.
#39
Proper Hungarian paprika
Purplescales 1 year ago
Paprika is ground up dried red bell peppers, so what makes Hungarian paprika different?
Rena 1 year ago
In non-English languages paprika also refers to the plant which is used to produce the spice itself. In Hungary every region has its own speciality, cultivated the plant to their preferred flavor. Doesn't matter if you talk about bell pepper or paprika, in Hungary you'll find different tastes under that name. From almost sweet like an apple to something comparable to chilli. And all are amazing.
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#40
Dutch processed cocoa, baby!
WindySwede 1 year ago
"Why dutched cocoa is different from natural cocoa" with Adam Ragusea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dT_LaNOhY4s
#41
Hatch Chilies
Zaphod 1 year ago
Hatch chilis come from Hatch, New Mexico. They sell these by the bushel from roadside stands in Denver in the Fall. You can buy mild, medium or hot. They will fire-roast them right there. I take them home, peel off the blistered skin, divide them into one pound bags and freeze them for green chili throughout the year. download-6...e5c76f.jpg 
KittyMommy 1 year ago
My aunt used to travel to New Mexico every spring and stay through the summer. She brought me a bag of dried hatch chilies. So good!!
Load More Replies... #43
Preserved lemons. They’re delicious in African lamb stew, in pasta, on pizza… still experimenting with the possibilities. Really easy to make at home too.
#44
Indigenous Australian ingredients, hard to come by because not readily available, pricey too. Finger limes especially are simply divine.
Kookamunga 1 year ago
I looked this up, never heard of it. How are these used in cooking? They look amazing. finger-lim...8b4b3d.jpg 
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
You can just eat the insides as-is, like you would the flesh of a "regular" lime. They can also be used as a garnish or used to flavor anything you want/need acidic "lime" juice/flavor in.
Load More Replies... #45
Bonito flakes
#46
Yuzu marmalade. It’s heaven in a jar.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 year ago
I have a yuzu tree that I've been growing from a seedling, for like 15 years XD This year, it FINALLY produced yuzu fruits, which were small and sad due to our weird weather we've had in SoCal the last half-year or so. (They still tasted and smelled heavenly, though.) I'm hoping it produces better fruit in the next few years!
cerinamroth 1 year ago
I love yuzu but hate marmalade (in the UK, it's bitter Seville marmalade, which I have very negative food memories of). But I'd eat it as a jam, and I love yuzu rind with salt.
#47
Good deli meat like salami, mortadella, and sopressata. Truffles. I know it's divisive to say but as someone who went in with low expectations when trying it for the first time, I can see why it's beloved by so many around the world. I even had a pandan custard pie with shaved white truffles that completely blew me away. It was one of the tastiest desserts I've ever had and a lot of that credit goes to the truffles.
Mama Penguin 1 year ago
Pandan is a wonderful ingredient as well. It works wonders in not just sweets but savory dishes too due to its distinctive aroma.
#48
Le Puy lentils. Like many great foods, there are lots of pretenders that are labeled French green lentils, but are not Le Puy lentils. The real deal are so ridiculously good compared to all other lentils, it's silly.
#49
Bottled yuzu juice. It does a fair job of replicating the aroma and favor of the fresh fruit, which is hard to find outside of Japan.
#50
Good cold pressed olive oil. DOP balsamic. Quality parmigiano. Heritage breed livestock meat. Black truffles (white truffles taste like foot sweat to me). Great bourbon. Even greater wine. Spend the $100 on that vintage Napa cab, Italian Amarone, or French Chateauneuf du Pape. Your life will be better for it. Fois Gras. Beef Tallow. Duck fat. Irish butter. Fleur de Sel salt *chefs kiss* maldon is great but I’d eat that s**t by the spoon. Duck eggs. Aged shoyu. Aged fish sauce. Cheese. Filthy funky musty stinky f*****g cheese. NON CELEBRITY TEQUILA. Old expensive scotch. I’m talking scotch old enough to order it’s own scotch. Macallan 30 will literally change your life. Mozzarella de Bufala (Accidentally replied to someone else’s specific comment so I thought I’d repost under the main thread)
Annik Perrot 1 year ago
I'm with you on most of these (especially white truffles!) Except that here in France we have access to cheap, good quality butter, and cheap-ish good stinky, runny cheeses. And you can get some really good wine for about 30€.
Ace 1 year ago
Annik, I'm not really disagreeing with you, but you can get a lot of pretty good wine for a tenth of that price. Ten-fifteen Euros should get you a really good wine. if you know what to look for. But if you're spending more more than that you really should be buying direct from the negotiant.
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Delenn 1 year ago
I am a little surprised with the butter thing. I don't know how it is in USA but in EU if it says "butter" it is just that, ingredients: pasteurized cream an lactic ferments (not sure if I am translating it correctly). It may be better if you buy something more artisanal like Soria butter but it is just that, it cannot be faked if it says traditional butter here. Another thing is when it says "easy to spread" or "light". In that case it has other things added.
Rena 1 year ago
The other things are either water (light) or canola oil (easy to spread). Reading this list I am so happy to be in europe
Load More Replies... gerard julien 1 year ago
the way they treat chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs in the US is worse and by the millions but shhh nobody wants to hear about it, instead focus on the foreign fois gras (mostly from France) pure hypocrisy !
Load More Replies...
iseefractals 1 year ago
I can accept most of these, even if i don't personally enjoy them. Except for the bit about the wine. It's all the same, absolutely no one can tell the difference between a $20/$100/$500/$1000 bottle of wine. No one. To the degree that their have been multiple experiments in which wine "experts" have been given $10 wine in an expensive bottle, while the expensive stuff was put in the cheap bottle. They'd had the expensive stuff before, they're judged and written about it....and still they raved about the cheap stuff with the pricey label and actively $hit all over the "good" stuff in the cheap bottle. That result has played out multiple times...if people who've made their whole life about Wine can't tell the difference, well i guess a fool and his money are soon parted.
#51
Traditional German egg noodles for homemade chicken noodle soup.
#52
Argentine shrimp.
#53
Specific "fancy" foods that are worth the hype: * Plugra butter * Berkshire pork * Luxardo cherries * Point Reyes **Bay** blue cheese - the flavor balance is amazing Categories of food in which it pays to do your research and opt for a well-reviewed premium, sometimes much-more-expensive, version.. or versions depending on your specific application: * EVOO * Balsamic vinegar * Koshihikari short-grain ("sushi") rice* (you will also need the right premium cooker)
Ace 1 year ago
Oh dear. Brand names do not mean good products, unless you don't have access to a proper selection. Blue cheeses particularly - I find it hard to imagine a factory-produced brand name being anything like as good as any of the many blue cheeses I could buy in any supermarket here.
Em 1 year ago
They didn't say it was better, they said it was worth the hype.
Load More Replies... #54
Wagyu beef, caviar, foie gras, lobster, uni, and many more. I honestly think the list of expensive ingredients that aren't worth it is shorter. There's usually a good reason unless it's just marked up for a brand name.
Em 1 year ago
I've tried it once and it reminded me of fish-flavored toothpaste. I've always meant to give it another shot -- I generally make it a point to try things at least twice before deciding I don't like them. I was at a pretty nice sushi place last week and a friend mentioned how much he loved the uni, so of course...they were out that night.
Load More Replies... #55
Fois Gras. It's the richest thing you can put in your face.
Shark Lady 1 year ago
It's barbaric. The way the birds are treated should be outlawed everywhere.
Annik Perrot 1 year ago
*Foie*. Pesky homophones. "Fois" means "time" like in "three times". "Foie" means "liver". And "foi" means "faith". All pronounced "fwa". We even have à children's rhyme about these, adding the French town of Foy into the mix 😇
Ace 1 year ago
Yeah, I used to be confused by the town of St Foye as well. Saint Faith? or was it Sainté Foye, like holy faith?
Load More Replies... CooperDooper81 1 year ago
Absolutely horrific and beyond cruel. I have no idea how you ingest that misery and torture.
Pittsburgh rare 1 year ago
Ethics aside, the flavour is off putting. I'd much rather bite a butter stick Homer Simpson style.
What do you think ?
Biofish23 1 year ago
This list just made me hungry and sad. Some of these are niche luxury items, but so many of these just come down to high quality 'real', food made traditional ways. I hate that FOOD is a premium ingredient, and mass produced, processed substitute is all most of the people I know can afford.
don'tcensorstupidstuff 1 year ago
ummm pure vanilla extract anyone? imitation doesn't come close
Lisbeth Guz 1 year ago
So most of the list is just fresh quality food instead of artificial flavored ones. Sounds simple, but it does make a world of difference
Judes 1 year ago
I grow a few herbs, and my favourite is oregano. We pick large bunches and dry them out in the oven. So much better than store-bought dried oregano (which I'm not sure is even the real deal).
Donkeywheel 1 year ago
When given the choice, choose your ingredients from Italy, Japan, Spain or France and 99% of the job is done. Name one thing better elsewhere..
Deborah B 1 year ago
A lot of these are occasional indulgence things. On a daily basis: Sea salt - I use fine sea salt for everything now, and maldon flakes for finishing or table salt. Fresh-ground peppercorns, for pepper. Tomatoes - if you can find them locally grown, field ripened and fresh picked heirloom tomatoes are a completely different experience, and you will not regret them.
Ace 1 year ago
So many of these, mostly seemingly from the US, are simply saying "don't use cheap imitations" of things which I would never think of even having cheap imitations available. Real Olive oil, well yes, what else? "Quality" or "good" this that or the other makes me sad to realise that there are people that have grown up with fake foods. Like, if it says Parmesan, or Balsamic, on the pack then that's what it is - there is no 'real' involved, it either is the product or it is not the product.
Quinn Enestvedt 1 year ago
Real honey, maple syrup, and local eggs. Can't live without 'em, thankfully they're affordable here in Minnesota, but we make our own or get them from family most of the time.
Biofish23 1 year ago
This list just made me hungry and sad. Some of these are niche luxury items, but so many of these just come down to high quality 'real', food made traditional ways. I hate that FOOD is a premium ingredient, and mass produced, processed substitute is all most of the people I know can afford.
don'tcensorstupidstuff 1 year ago
ummm pure vanilla extract anyone? imitation doesn't come close
Lisbeth Guz 1 year ago
So most of the list is just fresh quality food instead of artificial flavored ones. Sounds simple, but it does make a world of difference
Judes 1 year ago
I grow a few herbs, and my favourite is oregano. We pick large bunches and dry them out in the oven. So much better than store-bought dried oregano (which I'm not sure is even the real deal).
Donkeywheel 1 year ago
When given the choice, choose your ingredients from Italy, Japan, Spain or France and 99% of the job is done. Name one thing better elsewhere..
Deborah B 1 year ago
A lot of these are occasional indulgence things. On a daily basis: Sea salt - I use fine sea salt for everything now, and maldon flakes for finishing or table salt. Fresh-ground peppercorns, for pepper. Tomatoes - if you can find them locally grown, field ripened and fresh picked heirloom tomatoes are a completely different experience, and you will not regret them.
Ace 1 year ago
So many of these, mostly seemingly from the US, are simply saying "don't use cheap imitations" of things which I would never think of even having cheap imitations available. Real Olive oil, well yes, what else? "Quality" or "good" this that or the other makes me sad to realise that there are people that have grown up with fake foods. Like, if it says Parmesan, or Balsamic, on the pack then that's what it is - there is no 'real' involved, it either is the product or it is not the product.
Quinn Enestvedt 1 year ago
Real honey, maple syrup, and local eggs. Can't live without 'em, thankfully they're affordable here in Minnesota, but we make our own or get them from family most of the time.
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