Tell me about that one ingredient, that when discovered, it opened your mind to a whole new world of flavor possibilities!
For me, the first to come to mind is Worcestershire sauce. I’m talking about way back in my youth. It was my first introduction to what we now call umami. When I noticed my mom put it in her meatloaf I began experimenting. At the time I was just blown away by how much it changed things. I even used to put it in my Top Ramen I was so obsessed lol. More recently, dukkah. Trader Joe’s is correct when they say to take bread, dip it in olive oil, and then dukkah. So tasty!!
What about you?
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It’s always been MSG! Adds a little extra to everything!
I think this is what I came here to say, too! Bags of MSG are soooo cheap, I have a tiny jar of it next to my oven and it’s so satisfying and so much fun to taste what you’re cooking before and after adding a sprinkle of MSG. Amazing difference!
I’ve learnt to add umami in lots of other ways, but for some recipes, msg really is a good hit.
MSG is really important in my cooking, too. It really adds a nice flavor to any vegetable dish. I use it for so many things, even when a recipe doesn’t call for it and especially for when a recipe doesn’t call for it. I always laugh at myself when I use MSG to season my spaghetti sauce because tomatoes have some MSG in them already. But they need more MSG, you know? They need so much more that on top of the MSG I also use Worcestershire sauce.
My favorite MSG sources are the Zatarans Blackened Seasoning and No-chicken bouillon.