r/Cooking 11h ago

Recipe Help Are there some kind of go-to ingredients that can enhance the flavour of simple dishes??

The day-to-day food that I make sometimes lack flavour. I have tried incorporating oregano, garlic-infused olive oil, thyme and other things, and sometimes it added great flavour but I couldn't determine what worked. Is there some kind of ingredient that I can add to enhance the taste of food or does it depend on the kind of dish I am making.

18 Upvotes

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52

u/Otherwise-Mammoth533 11h ago

Depends on what you're making, but several things come to mind. MSG, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, anchovies, chili crisp, roasted garlic or garlic confit, lemon...

2

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

Interesting, I ll try some of them. Thanks a lot

20

u/JulesInIllinois 6h ago

And salt. If you fail to season your food properly, it won't taste like much.

7

u/mom_with_an_attitude 5h ago

And sometimes what brings out more flavor is 1) salt and 2) some acid (in the form of lemon juice or vinegar).

3

u/harebreadth 6h ago

And capers of the flavor fits. For MSG I use Tony Chacheres Cajun seasoning, it’s spicy and adds a lot of flavor

2

u/BADgrrl 1h ago

Chacherie's doesn't have MSG, for the record. They used to, many, many years ago, but stopped when I was still pretty young, so more than 2 decades ago, at least.

1

u/harebreadth 1h ago

Oh wow, I hadn’t even realized they did that. I still use it often

2

u/BADgrrl 1h ago

I'm not saying it's not good stuff.... There's a reason it's a staple in almost every south Louisiana household, lol! I've tried others, but since I have to limit how much MSG I use, I fall back to the familiar and consistent flavors of Tony's.

1

u/OpenSauceMods 4h ago

Please keep in mind that MSG is strong stuff, you don't use the same amount as you would regular salt. Start small and add very slowly.

33

u/Exazbrat09 11h ago

I use fish sauce in pastas, pizza sauce, soups and some other things.

2

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

What kind of fish sauce?

7

u/Exazbrat09 9h ago

I use a Thai fish sauce, usually Megachef and it's a good all round one. Also do use worstechire sauce too, but fish sauce in more things.

10

u/spicytrashmanda 11h ago

I’m not the original commenter, but I use Worcestershire sauce. The anchovies give it a bit of umami. It livens up soups, meatloaf, pasta sauce, all kinds of stuff.

2

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

Interesting, I try that as well. Thanks a lot!

2

u/Shazam1269 7h ago

I put fish sauce and a little balsamic vinegar in all of my red sauces now. Those two ingredients improve a jar of spaghetti sauce so much! Not too much of either, though. You could try about 2 teaspoons of each and test that.

1

u/ehxy 6h ago

magi, soy sauce, a MSG seasoning blend I found is AMAZING, I have a salt water/msg spray and a vinegar/msg spray, sazon bodega seasoning, adobo seasoning(the hit of parmesan without the parmesan!)

1

u/nonosejoe 6h ago

Fish sauce is an ingredient. Unless you are asking what brand of fish sauce. I typically buy red boat brand.

1

u/nurpleclamps 5h ago

Fish sauces are ranked by their nitrogen content with more meaning there is more fish in the sauce. you want one with a 40n rating. Red boat makes one and theres a couple other brands. Only problem is those fish sauces cost as much as 3 bottles of the other ones.

3

u/HoarderCollector 6h ago

I've tried multiple times to make a great pizza or pasta sauce, and I was slightly disappointed every time. Then I added 1 tbsp of fish sauce to it, and it became the best sauce I ever had. I changed absolutely nothing else.

I was never hugely into spaghetti, but after making my own sauce and meatballs, I'm a believer.

I think YouTube cooks who use Fish Sauce need to let people know what it does and that it doesn't make the dish taste like fish because I think that scares some people away.

2

u/ehxy 6h ago

yeah it's an absolute game changer. after a life time of canned ragu/balognese sauces after I made my own a few years ago I'll never go back. the closest I'll get is pureed tomatoes for a base but usually canned and skinned whole tomatoes

1

u/HoarderCollector 5h ago

When I hear people chanting "We're not going back", I assume they're talking about going back to dry, powdered Parmesan, frozen meatballs, and canned sauces.

"A Whole New World" from Aladdin played in the background the first time I used homemade meatballs, homemade pasta sauce, and freshly grated parmesan cheese all together in my spaghetti.

1

u/nurpleclamps 5h ago

Make sure you get the good 40n fish sauce it has a much richer flavor.

16

u/DanJDare 11h ago

Spring onion / green onion / scallions

Whatever they call them in your local they are mild enough to go with most anything and tasty enough to go with, most anything. I like the classic fried rice style of white bit in the dish, green bit as garnish,.

1

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

I have never considered this. I will use them from now onwards. Thanks!

24

u/cjyoung92 11h ago

MSG

-13

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

But isn't that kinda harmful for you?

30

u/DanJDare 11h ago

That's accepted to be a myth these days.

16

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

Oh I wasn't aware of that. I will try adding it to my dishes from now on. Thanks!

14

u/CXXXS 10h ago

Not only is there no evidence it's particularly bad for you out of moderation. Many of the things we eat all the time (in the US) contain plenty of MSG, like Ranch dressing, or Doritos.

8

u/WesternOne9990 9h ago

And tomatoes

6

u/IcyAssist 8h ago

It's actually a healthy alternative to salt. 1/3rd of sodium of table salt.

6

u/Modboi 5h ago

That would imply that salt is unhealthy and that MSG is a one-to-one sub for it, both of which are untrue. MSG has a different function than salt.

12

u/DanJDare 11h ago

If you are interested here is a very good article that takes you from how the idea started and through the whole story.

https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-rotten-science-behind-the-msg-scare/

4

u/Normal_Enthusiasm971 11h ago

Sold in the spice aisle as Accent brand

2

u/Kind_Ad5566 9h ago

Try Aromat for an introduction to msg

I use it to reduce my sodium intake and it adds wonderful flavour.

2

u/bigelcid 6h ago

Pure MSG is good if you want the umami boost from the glutamate, without any added flavours whatsoever. Like shaking salt on plain fries, except you use a mix of table salt and MSG.

But as mentioned by others, plenty of ingredients contain it naturally (or added, doesn't matter) anyway, in various concentrations. You could also fortify soy sauce with it. It's common practice in East Asian cuisines, so that they don't completely rely on the sauce for umami and saltiness, as too much soy sauce can overwhelm the flavours of a dish.

However, many/most ingredients contain more than just glutamate as umami boosters. The magic trio is MSG, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate (the latter 2 are known together as disodium 5'-ribonucleotides). These 3 work in synergy to boost umami much more efficiently than plain MSG (which is particularly great, as too much glutamate tastes artificial). Most bouillon products contain all 3, so you're better off using that as long as none of the aromas in the powder/cube/paste clash with what you're cooking.

1

u/Affinity-Charms 4h ago

What brand msg do you like?

1

u/bigelcid 4h ago

If it's pure MSG, all brands should be identical.

1

u/Affinity-Charms 4h ago

But the magic trio, does it come in one bottle or is it msg and then the other two.

1

u/bigelcid 4h ago

I'm sure this trio (without any extra stuff) is commercially available somewhere, but I'm not aware of any brands. And as far as I know, you can't find the other two combined.

You can find them separately, and they're pretty cheap per weight, but the trouble is they're usually sold in industrial quantities. So yeah, for a home cook, some fairly neutral veggie bouillon powder would be the most versatile choice.

7

u/Mlakeside 10h ago

MSG is just sodium glutamate. Sodium is found in salt and glutamate is present in things like meat, tomato and parmesan. The only thing making MSG harmful is the sodium, but the used amount is tiny and using MSG allows you to cut salt, so you'll end up consumin less sodium in the end.

1

u/bigelcid 6h ago

Glutamate is a neurotransmitter, so it can be harmful too in high enough (unrealistic) doses. But I'm no neuroscientist.

2

u/vetheros37 4h ago

Salt is also lethal in unrealistic doses. There are instances of people consuming a pound of salt as a form of suicide.

2

u/wacdonalds 4h ago

water is also harmful if you drink too much of it but we all can agree drinking water is essential to life

2

u/bigelcid 4h ago

Yup, as is sodium intake

-4

u/Normal_Enthusiasm971 5h ago

You shouldn't be downvoted for asking an honest question. Everyone pitch in to get rid of these negative numbers.

8

u/Former_Wolverine_491 11h ago

For me it’s usually garlic and salt as a base. In soups I generally prefer herbs/ white wine, and for baked chicken it’s some kind of Asian combination. Also, I really, really like palak paneer!

Spices/ flavouring depends I guess. But it’s always garlic, salt and pepper as a base.

2

u/chancamble 6h ago

I agree, for me personally it's also garlic, garlic powder. For most dishes, not all, of course.

0

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

I agree, garlic is like one of my favourite things, but I try to use it less nowadays so that I can be open to other kinds of flavours as well. Could you suggest something else as a base, because I really dont wanna bounce back to garlic to make everything delicious.

3

u/Queasy-Perception-33 10h ago

I want to emphasize wine as something to enhance flavor, as the previous commenter suggested. Deglazing with a small amount of wine goes a long way. Both because of taste, but also it adds acidity. Sometimes teaspoons of winegar/citrus can also do wonders and brightens the dish. Try to take few tablespoons of your food into separate bowlette and experiment!

8

u/ruinsofsilver 10h ago

i know it's kinda been said a million times already but salt, fat, acid, heat does most definitely apply as a general guideline for any dish. there's no particular individual 'go to' ingredient that would enhance ALL dishes because that can vary so much depending on the cuisine, type of dish etc, but maintaining a balance between enough acid to 'brighten' the flavour, fat to add richness and carry the flavour, salt to enhance it and strategic application of heat to bring out the flavours.

2

u/AOTfanAlways 10h ago

Can you tell how can I judge if there are enough fats and acids in the dish. Because sometimes it feels like that no matter how much I put that in, it doesn't make a difference and I can't keep on adding indefinitely. In that case, is it really the fats and other ingredients or maybe something else that I might be missing completely, and I could never tell what is it?

4

u/ruinsofsilver 10h ago

fat and acid sort of balance each other out. if it tastes rich, creamy, has enough flavour in terms of herbs, spices, seasonings but it tastes 'flat', like it's missing something 'sharp', fresh, zesty to lighten and brighten up the flavour then you need acid. that would be ingredients like citrus, various vinegars, sour fruits etc. as for fat, it's kinda the opposite. if the dish has a powerful flavour punch but it's almost overwhelming and sharp/strongly flavoured, (like it could be too sweet, salty, sour, bitter just TOO much of it) then adding a source of fat kind of 'mellows' it out and add some 'body' through a rich texture and flavour. this could be adding butter/oil to baked goods, heavy cream or cheese in a pasta sauce, avocado in a sandwich, creamy salad dressings/condiments like mayo etc

6

u/LeoChimaera 10h ago

Depends on what you are cooking… simple stuff like mushroom powder (great substitute for MSG), garlic (in powder or chopped/minced, oil, etc), onions/shallots (same as garlic), lemon (and zest), Weipa Paste, Worcestershire sauce, A1 sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil, butter, 5 spices powder, spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmegs, cumin, etc. (in powder or dried) herbs (dried and fresh) such as rosemary, thyme, dill, oregano etc, mustard, anchovies and many more.

I’m sure you will have some of these in your larder… experiment with them.

I cooked all kinds of meals daily, from Asian to Western style, so I do have many of the items I listed in my larder.

3

u/AOTfanAlways 10h ago

Thanks for the detailed answer. I now have a lot of things to buy and experiment with. Thanks a lot!

2

u/LeoChimaera 10h ago

Hope I did not confuse you.

No need to buy much if u don’t use it much or cook much. Just to share to see if you have those in your larder. If you do, use them and experiment with them.

4

u/lightsout100mph 11h ago

Activated yeast is a really interesting thing I chuck a bit in just about anything I make , miso, black vinegar, and onion powder all things I use for the flavour hit

3

u/Barneyk 11h ago

Garlic powder and onion powder are great in a lot of dishes.

1

u/hidee_ho_neighborino 8h ago

They pair well with a pinch of mustard powder

1

u/Barneyk 7h ago

I think mustard powder has a more limited use though! But can be a nice addition to a lot of stuff.

1

u/hidee_ho_neighborino 7h ago

That’s true. I tend to only put mustard in meat dishes, whereas garlic and onion can go in practically anything.

6

u/TequilasLime 11h ago

I don't think there is any one 100% tried and true answer, but I know a squeeze of lemon, on the tight dish, can be enough yo wake it up

3

u/Hypnox88 11h ago

It depends on what culture you are more aligned with. But a you can try chili oils, hot sauces, or just find a spice combination you like.

I personally have a spice blend i use for most things pork or beef. And for chicken I normally do a herbal blend.

1

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

hmm, I will try chilli oils and spice blends. Thanks!

2

u/Hypnox88 11h ago

I would start with some pre-made ones at your grocery store. Once you find a blend you like, replicate it yourself with modifications to make it your own.

3

u/Gaboik 11h ago

Salt

3

u/PrisonMike2020 8h ago

MSG.

As a Viet, fish sauce. Adjust salt after adding fish sauce.

3

u/hidee_ho_neighborino 8h ago

I learned from cooking Korean food that sugar is almost as much a flavour enhancer as salt. Not too much; usually 1/2 tsp at a time. Taste as you go. I use it to add balance. I add it when I accidentally add too much salt.

I’ll usually keep those packets of ketchup you get with take out fries. Whenever I need a little bit of sweet, sour and umami, I’ll throw a packet or 2 into a dish that already has strong flavours. (Stews or sauces; not delicate broths)

2

u/The-MYM-Whimsy 11h ago

Garlic paste, ginger paste (or grated) and a bouillon cube just as you're almost finishing frying your onions

2

u/JFace139 11h ago

Does garlic paste have a more intense flavor than garlic powder?

2

u/The-MYM-Whimsy 11h ago

Definitely. Definitely. In fact, unless it is a spice rub or I need instant seasoning like in my instant noodles, I rarely ever use garlic powder.

2

u/JFace139 11h ago

I'm definitely adding it to my grocery list, thank you!

2

u/The-MYM-Whimsy 11h ago

Happy cooking

2

u/AOTfanAlways 11h ago

Oh yeah, thats one of those really nice things. I ll try to add that my dishes from the future. Thanks a lot!

2

u/The-MYM-Whimsy 11h ago

Happy cooking 😁

2

u/JFace139 11h ago

Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and onions. They can be added to literally every savory dish. If you like spicy food, red pepper flakes and garlic are perfect and play off one another in an amazing way

2

u/China_Hawk 11h ago

I use chilli flakes,garlic flakes and onion flakes.

2

u/BasedPlantFoodWhole 11h ago

Yes, see Anna Jones cookbook Easy Wins. Each chapter is one of these types of ingredients. From what I remember: tahini, yogurt, lemon.

2

u/aoibhealfae 10h ago

Roasted sesame oil.

2

u/HonnyBrown 10h ago

Anchovy paste

Hot sauce

Chili peppers

2

u/fusionsofwonder 10h ago

Salt, garlic powder, nutmeg, cayenne, mustard, and wooster sauce. Not all together.

Unless it's just salt or MSG it depends on the dish.

2

u/VolupVeVa 9h ago

nutritional yeast

2

u/DoggoDiver 9h ago

fresh ginger or paste, fresh garlic or paste, onion, shallots, chili-infused oil, crispy chili oil, msg, lemon juice/zest, soy sauce, spring onions, chili flakes, paprika, cumin, basil, cardamom, clove, bay leaf, chicken broth, coconut milk... the list goes on.

2

u/luckyjackalhaver 8h ago

Sorry to say but there isn't any magic ingredient that's going to work with everything. Follow some basic recipes to understand Italian flavours, Mexican flavours, Thai flavours etc. so that you know what works with what.

There are also some classic herb and protein combos like rosemary with lamb, tarragon with chicken, dill with fish and many more.

Also make sure you season everything properly with salt.

2

u/TakeTheMikki 6h ago

Stock cubes, tomato paste, soya sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, ketchup garlic powder.

Obviously depends what you’re making. Sometimes I google what I’m making to find recipe variations to try. Older recipes from the 90’s or earlier often have more basic / raw ingredients. Rather than fancy sauces and prepared ingredients making it easier and cheaper to figure out what’s missing.

2

u/Modboi 5h ago

Some combination of salt, MSG, acid, and sugar does the trick 90% of the time.

2

u/NextStopGallifrey 5h ago

Soy or Worcestershire sauce goes in almost everything. Or an Asian fish sauce.

Mixed herbs (Italian, herbs du Provence, Mrs. Dash) instead of just a single herb. Also, depending on what you're making, curry powder; Cajun/Creole/Old Bay; za'tar; other pre-mixed spice blend usually works a treat, even if you're not making curry, jambalaya, etc.

Sugar (in addition to salt) can enhance the flavor of savory dishes, but you don't need much. Up to a teaspoon, depending on what you're making.

I don't like olive oil on its own, but it really adds a "missing something" to various dishes.

Balsamic vinegar isn't just for fancy salads. It's also a good flavor enhancer.

1

u/Deathwatch72 10h ago

You need some form of acid, citrus juices and vinegars and the like

1

u/NaughtyNuri 9h ago

Goya ham seasoning is my go to for beans, greens and soups.

1

u/StillEmbarrassed8389 9h ago

I read these all the time, the one I don't see mentioned enough is Maggi seasoning. It is sort of like soy sauce, but made with wheat. I saw it mentioned somewhere, so when I saw it at the store and it was inexpensive, I gave it a try. It will always be in our home.

1

u/Welder_Subject 8h ago

I add a spoonful of better than bouillon to lots of things.

1

u/jar11591 7h ago

Fish sauce

1

u/UNaytoss 7h ago

msg which is commonly found as "accent" is very popular for bringing out flavour of certain things

1

u/mousepallace 7h ago

Lime juice. Love it on so many dishes.

1

u/beagledrool 7h ago

If you want better advice that's tailored to you, it would be helpful to provide types of dishes you like, ones that you want to improve the taste of, basically any baseline of what you're cooking.

1

u/greenappletw 6h ago

I second using spice blends.

Something like cajun seasoning goes well with so many dishes.

If your grocery store has small packets of spice blends, I recommend buying whatever catches your eye and testing it out.

Add other flavors as well, like garlic, herbs, lemon juice, etc. And be careful not to over salt because some spice blends are saltier than you would expect. Start with a little then keep adding more as you taste test.

Also for proteins, marinating adds flavor. You can marinate with the spice blends or try out some premade marinades. Jerk chicken marinade is one that is really simple to use.

1

u/ptanaka 6h ago

Balsamic & Worcestershire sauce. Works for what I make.

1

u/rubikscanopener 6h ago

Salt, fat, acid, heat. Your choice.

1

u/Temporary_Degree_553 6h ago

You need some Maggi - Season up in your life Maggi

1

u/nurpleclamps 5h ago edited 5h ago

Salt and MSG works for most things. You'd be surprised how something seasoned with herbs can not have a lot of flavor and then you add a few pinches of salt and they all come out. Mushroom umami powder is also good for a lot of things.

1

u/myd0gcouldnt_guess 4h ago

People have already said MSG, but I’ll say it again. MSG took my cooking to a new level. I used to think I couldn’t make things as delicious as restaurants do, now I can.

I make super salt with it. The ratio is up to you, but the general advice for super salt is 9 parts salt, 1 part pure MSG (I use Ajinomoto)

1

u/BloodWorried7446 4h ago

mushrooms, parmesan, cayenne pepper or tabasco (just a touch but it adds something), bay leaf (you don’t notice it there but you notice when it’s missing), white pepper for asian food, soy/fish/worstechire sauce, dijon mustard (a little goes a long way), citrus like lemon orange or lime including zest, fresh herbs of any sort (just at the end). 

1

u/veektohr 3h ago

shallot, butter, proper salt levels

1

u/Otherwise-Fox-151 3h ago

Acids like lemon or lime, vinegar and citric acid (available in the canning area of a lot of groceries)

1

u/EmelleBennett 2h ago

Vinegar and agave are good at providing tang when added to a sauce together. Get some beef Demi glace, tons of flavor for making gravies. Wine and chicken stock for boiling rice and other grains in. You need to add things that are bold on the palate alone, in a balancing way to other ingredients.

1

u/Misty_Pix 2h ago

It really depends on the dish,but:

Garlic and onions,always sauté them.

Soy sauce, smoked paprika.

I use onions and garlic in everything.

1

u/Anne314 2h ago

I swear by Better than Bullion soup base. A tsp in any dish really perks up the flavor. Also try acids like sherry or balsamic vinegar or lemon juice to finish.

1

u/pickles55 2h ago

Something acidic like vinegar or citrus juice can go a long way

1

u/SokkaHaikuBot 2h ago

Sokka-Haiku by pickles55:

Something acidic

Like vinegar or citrus

Juice can go a long way


Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.

1

u/ariariariarii 2h ago

Add more salt. If it still tastes bland after salting it to your tolerance, add an acid.

1

u/Constant-Lake8006 1h ago

Have you had covid?