25 Fancy Ingredients To Elevate Your Culinary Experience, As Shared In This Online Thread

In the vast and diverse world of cooking, enthusiasts are constantly on the lookout for ways to elevate their culinary creations. One treasure trove of culinary wisdom is the r/Cooking subreddit, where everyday cooks come together to share their experiences, tips, and favorite ingredients.

Recently, the community decided to spill the beans on their most cherished fancy ingredients that, despite the hefty price tag, they believe are undeniably worth it. Let’s explore the luxurious world of culinary delights as these passionate home chefs share their insights.

#1

Parmesan reggiano. Maldon salt. Berkshire pork.Good Scotch.

#2

Cardamom.

It is just ridiculously tasty in baked goods.

#3

High quality mustard

#4

Black garlic. Thank you Bob’s Burgers for that tasty treat.

#5

Gruyère cheese for macaroni and cheese.

#6

Vanilla bean paste

#7

Saffron is amazing

#8

Not really fancy, but parmigiana reggiano is really the only parmesan. Sichaun peppercorns for Chinese stir frys, grass fed ground beef for grilled burgers, local honeys as opposed to most any store brands.

#9

Real maple syrup

#10

High quality Olive oil. I got some from a farm in California and it was amazing. So fresh, fragrant and flavorful.

#11

I like slightly higher end butter. Kerrygold is always solid.

#12

Not fancy but something most people use. Whole nutmeg. Once I started using at rather than the pre gound stuff and I never looked back. Also good local honey from different pollinating sources. You can taste the difference between honey from bees that polinate say clover and the honey from bees that pollinate apple blossoms.

#13

Good fresh farm eggs

#14

Roquefort cheese and smoked aged garlic. Ruinously expensive, but takes pasta sauce from “that was lovely, cheers” to silent weeping at the beauty of the world.

#15

Canned San Marzano tomatoes for pasta sauce. Changed everything.

#16

I’m Asian, so here’s something a bit different:

– Real baijiu for Chinese stirfries (vs ordinary shao xing wine) – Real sake for Japanese dishes (vs ordinary ryoshiru) – Ceremonial-grade matcha – Legit fermented fish sauce (this is cheap in general, but the premium ones are really good – there are fake stuff made with just the extract plus artificial caramel coloring and salt ?) – Fermented soy sauce (again, cheap in general but the higher grades from small artisans in Japan are just…?) – Real local vinegar (i especially hate it when there’s additional citric acid in a bottled brand. I buy from small local producers)

Arborio rice, basmati rice (thought i could get away with using normal everyday rice because these two are expensive here but i’m a believer now)

#17

Luxardo cherries for cocktails.

Seems insane to spend $20 on a jar that small of anything, let alone something that I go through in like a month or two. But it’s now just a non-negotiable part of my budget.

#18

Not really fancy but I’m f*****g heavily with shallots right now

#19

Cured meats like real Iberico ham. Oh my god, get the f**k out of my way and gimme.

#20

Duck fat. It makes roasted veggies amazing.

#21

Real aged balsamic vinegar.

#22

Fresh, good coffee beans.

#23

Nothing in particular…but I’m always skeptical when someone gets a cheeseboard that has a ridiculously expensive cheese…like there’s no way this is worth 50 dollars a pound or whatever…and every time I eat it and my words.

#24

Smoked paprika….

#25

I dunno if this counts, but homemade chicken stock. Some people are equating fancy with expensive or rare, which is valid. The first time I tasted an aged balsamic I was blown away, spent 20 minutes trying to convince myself not to spend $50 on a tiny bottle of vinegar, failed and bought it, and I have not regretted it. It’s so good. But when I’m feelin real fancy, I make stock. I made my last stock with 5lb of chicken drumsticks on sale for $4, a cleaver, a carrot, a shallot, a celery, a bay leaf, a vinegar, peppercorns, water, and an electric pressure cooker. That might not sound fancy, but the product is so far beyond those boxed stocks. Just, unbelievably beyond you don’t understand till you’ve done it. The effort and quality is what makes homemade stock fancy for me, not the price or rarity.

Saumya Ratan

Saumya is an explorer of all things beautiful, quirky, and heartwarming. With her knack for art, design, photography, fun trivia, and internet humor, she takes you on a journey through the lighter side of pop culture.