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Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better

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Remember the wonderful cartoon "Kung Fu Panda" and the protagonist's adoptive father, who cooked delicious noodles with a secret ingredient? Yes, of course, later it turned out that there was actually no ingredient (we hope this was not a spoiler!), But it often happens that every person who is fond of cooking has their own secrets.

Just let's recall the famous secret mixture of 11 herbs that glorified Colonel Sanders and his chicken dishes all over the world - almost eighty years have passed, but KFC still keeps its composition top-secret. In general, there is always some little thing that can turn an ordinary meal into a real masterpiece.

There was a thread in the Reddit Cooking community a few days ago, whose topic starter asked just one simple question: "What is your secret ingredient?" The Original Poster also admitted that they use a tbsp of cocoa powder when they make lentil or black bean chili (wonderful idea, we support it!) Other redditors liked it too, and now the original post has almost 1.2K upvotes and over 1.2K different comments.

Bored Panda has collected for you a selection of the most popular, interesting and original ideas, whose authors are confident in their kitchen magic. So feel free to scroll to the very end, and don't forget to share your own cooking secret (especially if you're a KFC top manager!)

More info: Reddit

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Butter, it is always butter

drostan , oatsy40 Report

Final score:

180points

#2

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

Sparklypuppy05 , Bill Holsinger-Robinson Report

Final score:

140points

#3

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Use coffee instead of water for brownies

DarkNFullOfSpoilers , Zacharias Korsalka Report

Final score:

136points

#4

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Smoked paprika

RedneckLiberace , Christine Olson Report

Final score:

119points

#5

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Shallots shallots shallots. They elevate any dish and take olive oil based pasta sauces to a whole new level.

ebianco123 , F Delventhal Report

Final score:

115points

#6

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Lemon zest, usually.

lolgal18 , Robert Couse-Baker Report

Final score:

107points

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#7

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better General squeeze of lime in chicken noodle soup

Impressive_Net_2836 , Henry Zbyszynski Report

Final score:

96points

#8

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

hmmmpf , Andrea Nguyen Report

Final score:

94points

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#9

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Better Than Bouillon

webbitor , Better Than Bouillon Report

Final score:

91points

#10

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Depending on the dish - Worcestershire Sauce, Siracha, Pickle Juice, and Mustard.

Moppy6686 , jules Report

Final score:

90points

#11

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Miso Paste or Tahini

GallantKillerk , Fooding Around Report

Final score:

71points

#12

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Nutmeg in mac and cheese.
Molasses in chile.
Dash of acid in anything rich (not a secret but it feels like one!)

greensandgrains , Simone Bosotti Report

Final score:

67points

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#13

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Cayenne. It started with *Food Wishes* and now I put a little dusting on many recipes

EugeneHarlot , Brian Crawford Report

Final score:

59points

#14

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

phytomanic , rusvaplauke Report

Final score:

56points

#15

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

ElyJellyBean , Casey Fleser Report

Final score:

55points

#16

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.

BlueBelleNOLA Report

Final score:

52points

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#17

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

tubarizzle , Sarah-Rose Report

Final score:

51points

#18

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Gochujang paste.

CothersMunt , Alpha Report

Final score:

47points

#19

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

BuyTheBeanDip , Lars Plougmann Report

Final score:

46points

#20

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Salt + sweet dessert

Eaglefrost4 , Leonid Mamchenkov Report

Final score:

44points

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#21

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

phthophth , jules Report

Final score:

43points

#22

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

iguessimtheITguynow , barockschloss Report

Final score:

43points

#23

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Shaoxing wine in my poor man’s Bulgogi inspired pot roast.

Infinite_Eye_2575 , wyinoue Report

Final score:

37points

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#24

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Sumac powder

MarshallApplewhiteDo , liz west Report

Final score:

37points

#25

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 2-3 Tbs of masa harina in a large pot of chili. It thickens and gives a subtle corny flavor. Now I want chili.

bluecoastblue , Nenad Stojkovic Report

Final score:

37points

#26

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Horseradish spread for sandwiches in my coleslaw. The kick gives the slaw something special

IsFluffBear , winhide Report

Final score:

35points

#27

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Msg

Hairy-Motor-7447 , Brand: Spice Supreme Report

Final score:

34points

#28

Preserved lemon is a game changer

Sandninj4 Report

Final score:

34points

#29

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Fish oil or anchovy paste do wonders for savory dishes

Sea_Entrepreneur3719 , mgessford Report

Final score:

31points

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#30

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better 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.

DHELMET47 , woodleywonderworks Report

Final score:

31points

#31

Home Cooks Reveal 32 “Secret” Ingredients They Use To Make Food Taste Better Liquid smoke in my chicken salad.

Mascarpone cheese to thicken a “brothy” soup and give it a silky texture.

Taminella_Grinderfal , Alex Shultz Report

Final score:

25points

#32

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

Final score:

11points

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Oleg Tarasenko

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

Monika Pašukonytė

I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

What do you think ?

DuchessDegu 2 years ago

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

9points

Id row 2 years ago

Isn't taste subjective? I think adding potato chips to a tuna fish sandwich makes it taste better, but not everyone would.

7points

Hannah 2 years ago

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!

2points

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2x4b523p 2 years ago

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.

5points

Madeleine 2 years ago

There are some recipes online. The ingredient might be ají amarillo paste, made with Peruvian yellow peppers. You can buy jars of it online.

4points

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DuchessDegu 2 years ago

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

9points

Id row 2 years ago

Isn't taste subjective? I think adding potato chips to a tuna fish sandwich makes it taste better, but not everyone would.

7points

Hannah 2 years ago

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!

2points

Load More Replies...

2x4b523p 2 years ago

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.

5points

Madeleine 2 years ago

There are some recipes online. The ingredient might be ají amarillo paste, made with Peruvian yellow peppers. You can buy jars of it online.

4points

Load More Replies...

Load More Comments

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