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?
Vinaigre. I always loved acidic taste but I’ve never tough that every dish required an acidic component. Now I have some of it in every grain I cook, every casserole I make and with every protein I eat. Lemon, lime or mustard are great but they bring more parfum to the dish while cider vinaigre is closer to neutral. It cheap and shelf-stable.