Uncommon Food Stuffs

I don't often see Tajin talked about when people bring up condiments and seasonings. It's really great in soups to add a little brightness and spice, although it's more commonly used on citrus fruits and even watermelon. Just cooking up some soup in the wee hours of the night while drinking some whiskey and it got me thinking of a thread topic to post.

Let's discuss some of the more uncommon culinary delights. The ones you don't see 12 threads a day about, and might not even use all that frequently yourself.

I love Tajin for margarita rims

I like smoked meat in a pot roast. Maybe like a couple hours just to get that smoke on the outside; changes the whole flavor and I love it.

I like Tajin, but I think it has very limited applications. I like it to rim drinks like user mentioned. It's great on fruit. It's decent as dry rub for fajitas if you don't have fresh lime on hand. But I think it's other uses are really limited.

My roomate is also a pretty serious cook (and even has some pro experience). He's put it into stews and soups but frankly I don't think it was very good in those applications.

As for my suggestion? Doubanjiang. It's a fermented paste made from chili peppers and beans, very common in Sichuan Chinese food. I discovered it making Mapo Tofu. Since then I've used it in many other dishes. It's great to use in BBQ mop sauces, marinades, chili, etc.

peanuts in your coke is a god tier snack

never seen this before. did you get it online or what?

I buy mine at the Asian market. Any asian market will have this, it's super common in Chinese cooking.

Recently one of my local supermarkets has started carrying it, but the brand they have (pic related) is not my preferred one.

not necessarily uncommon, but I don't see people actually talk about it much. I use this shit all the time.

cardamom is one of those spices nobody talks about and the average layman doesnt know how to use, but i love it on roasted squash, carrots, apples, or in hot chocolates

I have a whole thing of this stuff and I've only used it once for a pineapple upside down cake. I really need to find a use for it. sounds good on some fried apples.

H O T C I D E R

When I put this stuff on fruit all it did was make it taste sour.

I only use it for rice.

perhaps you need to use it more sparingly? I don't know I've never used the stuff

Well its made out of lime so why would someone add lime to an orange?

This is not really uncommon, but it was new to me.
Oyster sauce, with the red label.
Red label = MSG flavor = better.
Use sparingly, its salty as fuck but loaded with flavor. Tastes better than crystalline MSG, and can be stirred into a dish or used as a condiment.
My whitebread Midwestern family would never have stocked this, I tried it on the recommendation of a Filipino friend, and really liked it.

This is my other recommendation that you may not have in stock, but should.
Its not a cooking oil, its a condiment. Its flavorful and a little bit goes a long way. Great on fried rice, stir fry, or really anything that needs a little boost of flavor and richness. Worth having.

i have that and it's the best

fuck, sounds great. good idea user

a little goes a long way, so don't overdo it! but some sliced yams with nutmeg and cardamom in the oven with brown suga'.. can't be beat

This is on every table in Costa Rica...it has a kind of tangy and sweet, but rich vegetable flavor. Goes great with everything.

see I was talking to a filipino girl once and she told me to try fish sauce, and I mistakenly thought oyster sauce was the same thing, and that's how I found my love for oyster sauce.