What "uncommon" item do you stock that others don't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a full pantry for cooking Sichuan food. I’m not Chinese.

+1
Ya cai, Tainan pickled vegetables, multiple types of noodles, hot bea paste, chili garlic sauce, multiple types of Sichuan peppercorns. I also have lots of Indian spices. Not Indian writers. anardana, black onion seeds. Indian pickles in jars.

Don’t get me started on the dried mushroom stocks.

My husband says I am condomaniac.

Have you checked out Mala Market? Their dried chilies, Szechuan peppercorns and broad bean pastes are top-notch.

[Anonymous]

I’ve noticed that Americans don’t use actual vanilla beans a lot. Not super unusual to stock, I am sure, but I’ve noticed my European recipes ask for vanilla beans and American recipes as for vanilla extract.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah sadly none of us, not even OP, actually stocks what I know as shallots.
Shallots in France and much smaller and much more flavorful. What you can buy here is only marginally different from red onions. I miss shallots.

I'm OP and this made me chuckle - because I don't actually live in the DC area. I'm in Canada. So, my shallots may not be the French shallots, but they probably aren't identical to the DC shallots PP is referring to either - mine in Canada are quite different than a red onion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Marmite. Always, and many extra jars.

Yuck. I have Vegemite!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I realized I was an oddball for not keeping lemons on hand. It never fails that a new recipe I want to try calls for one, and I'll have all other ingredients on hand.

I find them too expensive to buy each week 'just cause' if I don't have a specific purpose for them. Or I'll buy them knowing I'm going to use a few through the week and something will cause my meal plan to go haywire and they end up drying out.

I do fine with lemon juice and lemon zest at hand at all times. Too many shriveled lemons in my fridge to go that route again.

[Anonymous]

Capers, probably. I love capers, but I’m Sicilian and they are a common ingredient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not uncommon, but might be regional: Old Bay and hot sauce — usually Crystal.
I will carry tiny containers in my purse if I suspect that the food on offer might be “seasoned “ solely with salt and pepper.

They make an Old Bay hot sauce now, and that’s what I came here to post 😜

Crystal does? Or just somebody does? Going to look for that today!!

Bought it today! It's just made by Old Bay.
I cannot WAIT to put it on everything.

[Anonymous]

Candied peel. I usually have some in the fridge. Preserved lemons.

Wondering about the store-bought simple syrup. I've always made it; never seen it in a store.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a full pantry for cooking Sichuan food. I’m not Chinese.

Us as well! We are also always fully stocked on shallots, various hot sauces, and about 10 types of vinegar

Which ones after
White, white wine, red wine, rice, apple cider, balsamic?

Champagne & Sherry

Black and Cane (sugar) plus both regular and white balsamic.

[Anonymous]

Dried anchovies (kept in freezer) for Korean soup base

[Anonymous]

Dried black Persian limes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading this thread made me realize that I have a pantry full of things a lot of people consider uncommon except apparently the folks posting on here.

Things you all have listed I DON'T have:

cilantro (hate)
marmite (see above)
kaffir lime leaves
pomegranate syrup
MSG
and maybe a couple of other things, but most of the rest.

Do you have the pigs’ feet?

[Anonymous]

White balsamic vinegar -- it's become my go-to for vinaigrette

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah sadly none of us, not even OP, actually stocks what I know as shallots.
Shallots in France and much smaller and much more flavorful. What you can buy here is only marginally different from red onions. I miss shallots.

Huh, now I’m really interested in trying French shallots. I don’t think American shallots taste anything like red onion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pickled watermelon rinds, homemade orgeat

That is unusual. Do you eat them?