One of the secrets of great meals is the ability to put together the right ingredients. If you’ve paid your dues in the kitchen, you’ve likely come across hundreds or thousands of them.
But some are more special than others. They changed the game entirely and completely blew your mind. Some Redditors have mentioned the ingredients that upgraded their cooking to elite levels. Let’s see.

Fish sauce, a popular feature in Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian cuisine is known for elevating the flavor of food. One Redditor had some great things to say about it.
“I only used it in a few specific Asian recipes that called for the ingredient. But then someone pointed out to me that it’s basically the same as Worcestershire sauce without the extra sugars and spices. Now I go through a few bottles of that every year.”

Balsamic vinegar is a pretty versatile ingredient. Its uses extend from salads, ice cream, and strawberry to cheese. A Reddit user discovered a “super-thick, syrupy” balsamic vinegar and has never looked back since then.
“It is so good. I can never go back to grocery store stuff — except to use in marinades. A bottle goes a long way, and I use it on salads several times per week in addition to other dishes.”

Maple syrup can reliably stand in for sugar in hot drinks such as coffee, milk, and tea – juice and syrup too. In addition, it contains lots of health benefits such as lowering cholesterol and boosting brain health. A user found a high-quality product that beat their expectations.
“The flavor is so concentrated, you only need a tiny bit, so it lasts just as long but tastes 100% better,” the user testified.

There’s no want of butter in the market. Multitudes of brands jostle for shelf space and a spot on breakfast tables. But for a Reddit user, Kerrygold Salted Pure Irish Butter ticked all the boxes.
He had something to say about it compared to regular butter. “I use this instead of regular butter now. Even on a slice of toasted bread, you can really taste the difference.”

Sometimes, we have to venture out of popular terrain to get what works for us. That was the testimony of one Reddit user who found Kashmiri chili powder and immediately fell in love.
“Most American recipes for Indian food call for cayenne for heat because it’s more typically available here. Once I ditched cayenne for Kashmiri chili powder, my food started tasting a lot more like the Indian takeout I was trying to reproduce.”

Preserved lemons can do wonders in a number of dishes. From stews to pasta sauces. One user found out after a long while.
“I found a recipe in a cookbook that called for preserved lemons, and I figured I’d give it a go. WHOA. I only wish I could go back and make up for lost time when I had not been paying attention to these delicious pieces of heaven.”

Sambal Oelek Chili paste will blend into almost every recipe that demands spiciness. Also, it is used a lot for fried or grilled chicken and a host of other grilled stuff.
“Regardless of the cuisine I’m making, if a recipe calls for hot peppers, I no longer bother with keeping them in my fridge and chopping them up. I just use a spoonful of sambal oelek, and done,” one Redditor wrote.

Olive oil is no stranger to many kitchens. It’s the oil of choice for many culinary purposes. In fact, it’s the main cooking oil in the Mediterranean region. A Reddit user found out why.
Contributing to the topic at hand, their answer was “Good infused olive oil. It’s been a game-changer for me. From drizzling on pasta to dipping bread, it’s something I now can’t do without.”

Smoked Paprika is made with red peppers to provide several heat levels. It finds popular use in Mexico and Spanish dishes such as chorizo, carnitas, and paella. But it’s perfect for a wide range of food like soups, stews, salads, grilled meat, and marinades.
One Reddit user calls it a “secret ingredient” as just a sprinkle of it “mimics the taste of bacon” and is much simpler and healthier.

There’s canned beans on one hand and dried beans on the other – two alternatives to choose from before entering the grocery shop or food market. For a certain Reddit user, it’s a no-brainer.
“I have always used canned beans purely out of laziness. I finally decided to buy dried beans, and I can’t believe what I’ve been missing. Sure, they do take longer to cook, but as long as I plan ahead, it’s well worth it. They taste so much better than the canned stuff.”

One Reddit user mentioned Gochujang, the spicy red sauce that’s hardly missing in any Korean kitchen cabinet. “I mix it with honey, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar and spread it on salmon. It’s so good. I’m ashamed to say I got into it so late,” the user wrote.
Of course, you can take a cue from these ideas right away. So, which of these amazing discoveries are you going to try out first?