9 Tricks Cooks Swear By To Make Food Taste More Satisfying

A family cookingEver try to recreate your favourite restaurant’s best dish and wish yours tasted more... more?It happened to me with my local pizzeria’s garlic bread (turns out a lot of chefs put garlic powder, as well as actual garlic, in the side’s topping).In general, I’ve found the pros pack in more flavour per spoonful. And I’m not alone: writing to r/Cooking, site user u/Sof_a_doc_tah asked, “Why does my food taste so unsatisfying?”They explained: “It’s not that the food is making me sick or I don’t want to eat it. It just doesn’t seem to ‘hit’ as well as a mum-cooked meal/restaurant meal”.Here are some of the best responses:1) “Far and away the most common mistake home cooks make is not using enough salt.” “You should be seasoning pretty liberally, a pinch at least, at every stage where you add new ingredients.“Another thing that can happen is that while cooking, your nose becomes desensitised to the aroma of what you’ve been cooking.“At least half of the experience of taste is really smell. Walking outside for a little bit before serving yourself can help, as weird as that sounds.” Credit:u/hachface2) “Vinegar.” Credit:u/devlincaster“And not just regular vinegar either. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic, flavoured balsamics, malt vinegar, Chinese black vinegar (my secret ingredient for excellent fried rice or stir fry), sushi Rice wine vinegar, any of the wine vinegars, coconut vinegar... they are all very different and add their own distinctive zing to foods!“I love me a good vinegar!” u/IndgoViolet agreed.3) “People have all said acid and salt, which I agree with, but is it also possible that all of your spices are old?” Credit:u/papersnakeWriter’s note: yep, these really can go off.4) “MSG is the magical flavour enhancer for many.” Credit:u/PhoridayThe13th“It adds a tremendous amount of flavour,” u/IndgoViolet agreed.5) “Wine, chocolate, anchovies, and certain cheeses also.” Credit:u/88yj6) “To punch up a dish, my go-to easy upgrades are chilli powder (cayenne or Kashmiri, not enough to be spicy, just a little prickle), drizzle of oil (if it’s too lean), lemon juice (or other tart acid), MSG (savoury boost) and fresh herbs (chopped parsley, thyme...).”“Usually, if a recipe doesn’t come out interesting, one of those things will help.”Credit:u/wasabimofi7) “Dijon mustard can perk up dressings and gravies.”Credit:u/IndgoViolet“Mustard, hot sauce, pickle brine... [are] all good,” u/Veskers agreed.8) “Occasionally... when the food tastes maybe a little earthy or bitter (this mostly happens to me when I make dishes with dried chillies that are past their prime), the teeniest tiniest bit of sugar can somehow bring out all the other flavours.” Credit:u/GrayMareCabal9) ”[If it’s] boring, [it’s] probably [a lack of] salt (add soy sauce or chopped olives or feta, etc), acid (add vinegar/lemon juice), sugar (add BBQ sauce, syrup, chutney), herbs, [or] spices (add hot sauce).” Credit:u/Odd_Cress_2898Related...17 Of The Best Free Internet Recipes Home Cooks Swear By9 Cooking 'Hacks' People Say Are Actually A Waste Of TimeCooking Oil Can Make Or Break Your Dish, Here's How To Pick The Right One

Comments

Breaking news

Prince Andrew named in new Epstein flight logs after giving up royal titles

Metro

The best beauty advent calendars for 2025 - reviewed and rated by our beauty editor, these are the brands you can save thousands on

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

Convicted murderer admits killing his pregnant girlfriend by stabbing her 19 times after being released from 'life sentence' on licence

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

Putin mocks Trump with new strikes on Ukraine after Zelensky failed to win promise on Tomahawk missiles from US president

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

Civil servant wins £1million in Omaze draw and vows to replace his rusty old camper van to go travelling

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

Hamas releases body of 75-year-old hostage who they murdered on October 7 - as Israel says they will 'spare no effort' until all hostage's bodes are returned

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

Paris Fury says she's not 'comfortable' with becoming a grandmother in her 30s if newly engaged daughter Venezuela, 16, starts a family right away - as she reveals timeline for the wedding

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

The exact products you need to take ten years off your face: You's beauty editor ROSIE GREEN reveals the secrets behind this 90-year-old's extraordinary makeover

about 3 hours ago

Dailymail

'I am so overwhelmed by chilli heat I can barely breathe.' TOM PARKER BOWLES tries a TikTok viral chicken shop in London and finds 'no pleasure, just pain'

about 3 hours ago

Trump only one who can force Putin to negotiating table, Finnish president tells BBC

BBC News

Comments

Similar News

MIKEY SMITH: 9 unhinged Donald Trump moments as RFK Jr goes on wild rant about teenage boys' sperm

Weekend wishlist: 9 fashion and beauty picks recommended by the Mirror shopping team

I've spent a fortune on hair products over years - here are the 9 that actually give fine, flat and lifeless hair volume (plus the mistake to avoid)

9 common cars that will have to pay new 'Land Rover tax' on parking

Two children, 10 and 9, charged with rape and attempted murder as girl, 5, 'scalped'

9-year-old girl in California has been missing for a year and cops are begging for help finding out what happened

Love is Blind Season 9 Reunion Release Date, How To Watch

Tigers Lose 9-Year Veteran Catcher to Free Agency

Rice Bowl Recall in 9 States as FDA Issues Warning

Psychiatrist names 9 signs you're dating someone with ADHD

Erling Haaland turns geography teacher... with a £9,500 Birkin bag! Man City's sharp shooter flies into Malaga on a private jet to party after he was sent home from Norway duty

'I quit my 9-5 job for a side hustle that makes twice as much'

9 Gorgeous And Affordable Supermarket Jackets That Rival Designers

Charlie Hunnam: 9 Roles The Monster Actor Played Before The Ed Gein Story

9 million Americans under State of Emergency as 'hurricane-like' storm barrels up the East Coast

Noel Gallagher's 'nepo baby' daughter Anais, 25, comes under fire for boasting she 'gets paid to do nothing' and doesn't have to work a 9-5 job

Russian airstrikes cause damage across Ukraine's capital and injure at least 9

6,6,6,6… Shivam Dubey hit 9 sixes, scoring only so many balls

MIKEY SMITH: 9 unhinged Donald Trump moments as hospital visit prompts fresh health concerns

Major high street charity chain to close 9 Scots stores and 79 more in UK by next year

Breaking news

Prince Andrew named in new Epstein flight logs after giving up royal titles

‘Miserable’ gorillas left behind in old enclosures three years after zoo closes to public

Man fakes his own funeral ‘to see who shows up and how much they care’

All Your Fave It-Girls Are Wearing Loafers – Here Are The Best Pairs To Shop

I Don't Have Time For My Friends. What Can I Do?

My Best Friend And I Are Straight Married Men, And We Tell Each Other 'I Love You'

Jury shown video of asylum seeker ‘dancing after stabbing hotel worker to death’

Kremlin pitches £6,000,000,000 ‘peace bridge’ between Russia and America

Pregnant woman killed by abusive boyfriend who had already murdered before

Chinese Nobel Prize-winning physicist Chen Ning Yang dies at 103

Prince Andrew latest: Royal gives up all titles including Duke of York after King Charles discussion

Israel identifies remains of another hostage handed over by Hamas

Search for missing pensioner who vanished after boarding Glasgow bus

Scots dad wins £1m Omaze prize draw and plans treat wife to lifetime holiday

Apple MacBook plummets £670 days after new M5 chip model unveiled

Mike Tindall got last laugh after wife Zara branded him an 'idiot' for £12,000 purchase

Prince Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Ferguson's new title revealed as he loses all his

Exact two penny coin worth £1,000 but it must feature rare little-known detail

Moment Omaze winner becomes instant millionaire after 'normal friday night'

Where the 'most beautiful girl in world' is now after viral fame and controversy

BRIAN READE: Ignored and failed, no wonder ordinary young Brits are depressed

Budget airliner hurtles towards sea at 300mph seconds after take off

People can't stop 'freaking out' after turning viral image upside down

Zara Tindall hatched brutal plan after husband Mike Tindall’s 4am drunken antics

Skeletal woman 'locked in bedroom for 27 YEARS' utters three chilling words when found

Corrie star confesses 'I'm a lady magnet and I've hung out with Johnny Depp'

4 Rejections, 1 bribe: The true, chaotic story of The Beatles breaking the US

'I was forced to watch my wife be gang raped by seven men - it was three hours of hell'

Lidl give urgent alert to shoppers over item 'unsafe to eat as it may contain metal'

Doctor says adding key foods to your diet can help relieve menopause symptoms

DWP reveals date it will start looking at bank accounts and who will be affected

Michelle Keegan’s must-have tan leather jacket is still in stock at this high street store

Prince Harry's decision 'horrified' huge royal who then ignored him

Little Ant and Dec after Saturday Night Takeaway with unbelievable muscles and new jobs

Trump deploys secretive 'Night Stalkers' regiment as Venezuela mobilizes MILLIONS of troops raising fears of all-out war

The best beauty advent calendars for 2025 - reviewed and rated by our beauty editor, these are the brands you can save thousands on

Convicted murderer admits killing his pregnant girlfriend by stabbing her 19 times after being released from 'life sentence' on licence

Putin mocks Trump with new strikes on Ukraine after Zelensky failed to win promise on Tomahawk missiles from US president

Civil servant wins £1million in Omaze draw and vows to replace his rusty old camper van to go travelling

Hamas releases body of 75-year-old hostage who they murdered on October 7 - as Israel says they will 'spare no effort' until all hostage's bodes are returned

Paris Fury says she's not 'comfortable' with becoming a grandmother in her 30s if newly engaged daughter Venezuela, 16, starts a family right away - as she reveals timeline for the wedding

The exact products you need to take ten years off your face: You's beauty editor ROSIE GREEN reveals the secrets behind this 90-year-old's extraordinary makeover

'I am so overwhelmed by chilli heat I can barely breathe.' TOM PARKER BOWLES tries a TikTok viral chicken shop in London and finds 'no pleasure, just pain'

Trump only one who can force Putin to negotiating table, Finnish president tells BBC

How nervous are investors about the stock market?

Chinese Nobel laureate and physicist Chen Ning Yang dies aged 103

Psychology and cricket - meet India's latest batting star

A Photographer Captures Jewish Life Before and After the Holocaust

Full list of 41 New Look stores closing down in 2025

6 Ways To Sleep Better With SAD (According To A GP)

No One Knew I Was Trans In College. Then I Joined A Fraternity – And It Taught Me How To Be A Man

Adults Share Some Of The Creepiest Things Kids Have Said To Them – And Honestly, We're Terrified

Tim Curry Spills Cringey Moments With Donald And Ivana Trump During ‘Home Alone 2’

Selena Gomez Says She Spiraled After Wedding, Thinking 'It Could All Go Away Tomorrow'

Rosie O'Donnell Names This Beloved Celebrity As 1 Of Her Worst Talk Show Guests

Afghan and Pakistani delegations head to Doha for crisis talks

Israel identifies the remains of one more hostage