Everything in my pantry seems totally normal to me until I’m trying to cook at someone else’s house and they don’t have something and I’m like. How do you live. Has happened with dark brown sugar, yeast, a multitude of spices just off the top of my head. So in short I have no idea what’s normal any more.

A big jar each of 3 varieties of homemade avakkai, a South Indian hot mango pickle. My parents’ neighbors family in India has been making them for over 50 years and I always make sure to put in my order well in advance. My mom ships them to me in summer.

Sun dried tomatoes.

Bombay Delhi Tomato Aachar

Tajin

Mine isn’t in the pantry, but the fridge. Shredded red cabbage. I love adding it to lots of different things I eat.

Anonymous wrote:Already a thread on this-- not too long ago:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1156369.page

I think they are two different threads. This one is more, "What's your emotional support pantry food item?"

The previous thread was like, "What food item do you have in your pantry that proves you are a more enlightened being who exists on a higher plane than your neighbors? Answer: I cook with shallots instead of onions."

Trader Joe’s sauerkraut
Trader Joe’s furikake

Anonymous wrote:A tin of Old Bay.

I have often been without flour, milk, and even vanilla, eggs and butter. No biggie. Being without Old Bay though is panic time.

Have you tried the Hot Old Bay. So good, same taste just a bit of heat.

I also need it on hand at all times. Along with hard boiled eggs and cucumbers. I eat both daily, doused in old bay.

A tin of Old Bay.

I have often been without flour, milk, and even vanilla, eggs and butter. No biggie. Being without Old Bay though is panic time.

Ramen. I keep Mike's Mighty Good Ramen - their Pork Tonkotsu is the most health conscious

Already a thread on this-- not too long ago:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1156369.page

I don’t really lose sleep over it, but I hate when we’re out of that trader joe crunchy chili onion stuff

Gochujang. I am a middle-aged white woman, I just need spicy food every day!

What is one food item that you always keep on hand that is unique to you and your cooking style? Like if you ran out, you'd feel anxious until your next shopping trip.

It can't be something people consider a basic staple like flour, sugar, flour, milk, etc unless it's something very specific like, "I cannot sleep easy without knowing I have two boxes of my Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix in the pantry."