Kitchen staples

[superborb]

Originally written for a friend about to embark on setting up her kitchen for the first time, this is a list of "consumable pantry" type items (i.e. stuff that lasts ages) grouped by how often I use things and how important I think each item is. This list is obviously heavily biased towards the stuff I cook: primarily Zhejiang Chinese, easy Western dishes, and forays into other cuisines for particular flavors that appeal to my tastes.

Mostly posting for posterity, but I WOULD be interested if people disagreed on priorities or had things I don't use! In other words, I am always interested in going way too in depth on the topics I'm interested in. 

Group 1: first trip staples
Salt
Neutral oil: any vegetable or canola type oil is fine
Medium grain white rice: I like Kokuho and Sekka brands, but haven't tried others extensively. For one person, probably get the 15 lb instead of 40 lb, unless the discount is really good or you think you'll eat rice every day. White rice doesn't expire quickly, which is why it's so widespread, but you still want to use it up in a year or so for best taste.
Sugars: white, brown, rock. I prefer brown rock sugar over white.
Soy sauce: I keep MANY soy sauces in stock, but first trip staple would be the Wan Ja Shan regular soy sauce. Low sodium is fine.
Sesame oil: I do buy the cheapest one, but flavor wise you can really tell a difference. I bought a little container that I refill out of one of the big jugs.

Group 2: staples I keep backups of, broken into categories and then very roughly in order of personal importance / use

Flavoring agents:
Soy sauce: my other Chinese soy sauce staple, Kimlam brand light and dark soy sauce. Light is for salt, dark is for color (required for braised dishes). Some brands are Bad, tread carefully.
Fish sauce: Three Crabs brand
Zhenjiang / Chinkiang vinegar
Shaoxing cooking wine: get the huadiao kind, the cheapest one is notably not as good. That's what grandma said to do and she was right! The fanciest kind is better, but it doesn't fit in my cabinets and doesn't get /that/ much better.
Rice vinegar, preferably Wan Jan Shan.
Oyster sauce
Get a spice grinder and then buy whole spices. They last way longer. Then stock: black peppercorns, sichuan peppercorns, white pepper, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, chilis (I keep a variety, but would definitely get Korean red peppers and then supplement with others as needed. Fresher are better, so go somewhere with high turnover for them.), star anise, fennel seed, green cardamom, black cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg
Other spices that I either buy preground or grind myself: white pepper, popcorn seasoning (fennel seed, sichuan peppercorn, MSG, salt), turmeric, cinnamon, oregano
MSG: a little bit really pumps up flavor.
Dried shiitake mushrooms: this can get really expensive and it does get better with price, unfortunately.
Tomato paste: freeze the rest of the can in an ice cube tray.
Lemon juice: I use lemon juice a lot for acidity, and it's way more convenient. Sorry to the purists who insist on fresh squeezed lemons, but that's a lot of effort...
Thai curry paste: these come in little cans or bigger bags. Oddly, the cost is roughly the same and the paste is mad annoying to squeeze out of the bag. However, the bag is easier to store if you want to use smaller quantities. I keep the red and green varieties on hand always, and a selection of the other kinds for fun.
Doubanjiang, chili bean sauce
Apple cider vinegar

Baking/candy:
Baking soda
Baking powder
Yeast: preferably instant. Check expiration dates if turnover is not high.
Cocoa powder: dutch process is richer and therefore preferable.

Grains/beans/nuts/starches/dried:
Sesame seeds, both black and white: great garnish and also can be used for candy, fillings etc. I recommend buying untoasted and toasting yourself.
Asian wheat noodles: quick 5 min meal with some soy sauce and sesame oil on top
Nuts: I usually have peanuts, walnuts, or cashews, but nice to keep on hand for snacks and cooking.
All purpose flour: TBH, I'm not sure I can taste the brand differences in regular flour, because even bread flavor is way more technique dependent and mine is not consistent enough yet.
Rice flour
Sticky rice flour
Popcorn: easy snack that lasts ages and is pretty healthy
Cornstarch: for many starch-y purposes, cornstarch suffices, and it is the go-to for thickening stir fries.
Dried beans, sweet: red adzuki beans, green mung beans, yellow mung beans, navy (white) beans. I usually have all of these on hand, but really only two of them are needed for making a variety of sweet dessert soups / bean pastes.
Dried beans, savory: I usually have black beans, pinto beans, and chickpeas on hand. Useful for chilis, soups, hummus, etc. The exact beans to keep are not very important to me. (Except chickpeas, gotta have those.)
Lentils: I like red lentils for curries, but stock green ones too.
Pasta, Italian: I keep penne or rotini and a spaghetti type around.
Cornmeal: beyond the obvious uses, I actually tend to thicken (Western style) soups and sauces with cornmeal. I think it makes a less gooey/starchy result than using well, starch.
Oatmeal: do NOT get the one minute kind, the texture is terrible. I treat oatmeal as a congee substitute and eat it savory.
Grits
Soy beans: for soymilk, though it's a lot easier with a soymilk machine, so I wouldn't consider this a staple unless you have one of those.
TVP: nice for bulking up chilis and such. Weirdly hard to find in stores, so the internet might be the way to go.
Kelp
Nut butter: some kind of nut butter is useful to have for a quick sauce, filling, etc.
Grape nuts: bf inexplicably will only have cereal for breakfast.

Preserved:
Canned whole tomatoes, canned tomato sauce: useful for chili, vegetable soups, making tomato sauces, etc. Emergency egg-and-tomato with canned tomatoes is acceptable.
Canned coconut milk: great for adding richness to any soup.
Rao's pasta sauce: expensive, but by far the best tasting store bought pasta sauce. I keep a couple jars on hand always for really lazy dinners when I don't have time to make even pasta sauce.
Zacai, picked mustard stems: little packets are less than a dollar.
Ziwu / furu, fermented bean curd: IDK what brand is best yet, but be careful not to get a flavored one if you don't intend to.
Canned tuna, mayo, saltines: combined with celery for another lazy meal of tuna salad on crackers.
Condensed and evaporated milks: lots of baked goods call for these.

Refrigerator/freezer:
Eggs
Garlic: I get the prepeeled kind, which IMO is the best balance of flavor to effort. If the box starts to get sad, I chuck it in the freezer.
Onions: Get whatever looks best, I usually keep in the refrigerator in the summer, but that depends on kitchen temp.
Butter: both salted and unsalted, though honestly only unsalted is REALLY needed. Freezes well.
Frozen vegetables: lazy dinners added to pasta
Frozen dumplings: get the kind that's one color writing on a white background, with a clear bag.
Frozen fruit: smoothies, popsicles, etc.
Frozen paratha
Carrots and celery: last a long time in the fridge
Dried tiny shrimp: inexplicably hard to find sometimes, but a nice addition to savory soups.
Seaweed paper: keep in freezer for best storage.


Group 3: other long-lasting items I usually have on hand

Flavoring agents:
Gochujang: I usually get the smaller container because it dries out quickly
Miso paste: same as previous
Gochugaru: the fine one is finer than I can get with my spice grinder, so it's useful
Anchovies: keep in freezer for best storage.
Chili oil: make your own or buy laoganma brand.
Soy sauce: non-Chinese varieties. I keep Japanese soy sauce, tamari, and Korean soup soy sauce around.
Douchi
Ketchup, mustard, ranch
Wild mushrooom olive oil and a fruity balsamic vinegar

Baking/candy:
Vanilla
Corn syrup: useful for candy making.
Honey
Gelatin, agar: fast desserts.
Maltose: useful for Chinese sweets, as it's less sweet than honey. Can usually substitute honey.

Grains/beans/nuts/starches/dried:
Dried black wood ear mushroom: blanch this for a nice addition to salads
Goji berries, red dates: added nutrition basically
Sticky rice
Basmati rice
Jiuqu, distiller's yeast: for making jiuniang that is far better than grocery store quality.
Potato starch: best for crisp results in deep fat frying
Mung bean starch: for liangfen, a quick summer dish.
Tapioca starch: make boba, and also certain dishes like chunjuan, spring roll prefer the tapoica starch texture. Usually replaceable with cornstarch in dishes though.
Dry milk: good for adding a dairy flavor to baked goods (often an ingredient in the Hong Kong style fusion desserts) and also as milk substitute.
Rice vermicelli: fast way to bulk up a savory filling
Korean sweet potato starch noodles
Bread flour: better for bread as the gluten content is higher.
Confectioners sugar: quick icings often call for this.
Nutritional yeast: nice cheesy flavor, kind of expensive.
Other grains: quinoa, wild rice, millet, barley, etc for fun
Korean pancake mix: mostly a convenience thing, but I cut it with regular flour and make a nice Chinese style thin crepe like pancake with this.
Pork song: sometimes congee just feels incomplete without this

Preserved:
Preserved bamboo shoot, pickled long bean, danmuji, etc: nice to have a few of these pickled type things that last for a long time.
Salted duck egg
Pidan, thousand year egg
Sardines

Refrigerator/freezer:
Ginger: does not do so well frozen, so I perpetually am out.
Lard: a much more neutral in flavor fat than butter. If you go fancy and render it yourself, it's SUPER fragrant and lasts ages in the freezer, but that's effort. The grocery store kind is basically tasteless.
Puff tofu: little sponges of flavor for soups.
Fage 5% fat yogurt: basically, I don't want to stock both yogurt and sour cream, and this is a very thick yogurt that fills 80% of the uses of either.
Potatoes, daikon: personally not as versatile for me, but lasts ages so good to have on hand.
Chinese sausage
Parm: lasts ages, good for flavor. Don't get unless you have a grater, the pre-grated stuff is bland.
Cheddar, blocks and shredded: freezes well, but as I learned the hard way, once it defrosts it'll go bad way more quickly!
Napa cabbage: cabbages last ages in the fridge.
Five spice tofu: inexplicably hard to find the good brand of locally, so I stock up and freeze it when I find it.
Silken tofu: lasts ages, good cold in summer or in soup in winter! Probably also consider soft/firm tofus, but I don't usually stock it unless I have a use in mind. 
Baiye tofu (Water lilies food inc brand calls this Special tofu): freezes well

Comments

[in_seclusion]

This is so helpful! i'm building my kitchen right now and i have to say the ones i immediately ordered were:

1. light soy sauce
2. sesame oil
3. black vinegar
4. liao jiu

bought zacai and brought my cinnamon bark, sichuan peppercorns, shichimi togarashi, chickpeas, coriander, and cumin with me too. bringing up my gochujang and doenjang pastes, and have to find good places that stock up on spices now that i'm out here in the mountains. D:

my staple veggies seem to be bok choy, eggplant, bellpepper, and tofu.

I don't cook much yet, mostly stirfries, so this list is actually a really good guide for newbs like me!

[superborb]

Ooh, I always mean to get shichimi, but it's not located in an obvious place at the Asian grocer I go to... Along those lines, I do like furikake a lot, but whenever I have it, I start eating too much rice without vegetables ^^;

I've been considering if I should change my default "umami savory paste" from miso to doenjang, because it's a bit stronger! Probably once I use up my current miso container, I'll switch over.

Yesss good staple veggies! I also like tomatoes, gailan, and leek, though I excluded anything that goes bad quickly from this list. I'm going to go add tofu though ahaha.

I'm glad it was useful!

[theladyscribe]

This is a pretty comprehensive list! There's not much I'd change beyond some flavor profile tweaks to suit my own tastes:

- American-style hot sauce (McIlhenny's specifically, though my current bottle is homemade from my parents' tabasco plants)
- mustard (spreadable): I have at least 3 kinds of mustard in my pantry at all times; personal preference is Dijon, a good brown mustard, and Chinese hot mustard. Both Dijon and brown mustard are great bases for vinaigrette dressing in addition to being good for sandwiches and meat glazes
- Worcestershire sauce: a little splash goes a long way for beef stews and gravies; also it keeps forever
- Sumac: great for sprinkling on lightly-salted vegetables (especially thin-sliced red onion)
- Za'atar: Middle Eastern spice blend, good on pita, yogurt, hummus, etc.
- olives (refrigerated, glass jar not canned)
- American-style (dill) pickles
- tinned/smoked trout or herring in place of (or alongside) tuna
- salami/hard sausage: another quick snack/low effort protein for a light meal; keeps well in the fridge and can be frozen too
- frozen dumplings: I keep both Chinese dumplings and Russian varenyky/pierogi in my freezer; great for quick snacks/low effort meals
- ground meat: I keep ~1lb packs in my freezer. The types vary, but I usually have one or more of beef, pork, turkey, and lamb at any given time
- bacon: I buy the 1lb packs and divide them up into packs of about 4 slices each. One pack goes in the fridge for use that week, the rest go into the freezer
- fish: usually tilapia, mahimahi, or salmon; again, I buy in bulk, divide it, and freeze what I'm not planning to eat immediately
- stock: I make my own chicken stock occasionally, but recently I've been buying Penzey's soup bases (chicken, beef, they now offer pork and seafood too). A spoonful mixed in water is perfectly fine for most recipes

I also freeze most of my bulk spices and refrigerate my yeast. I live alone and my apartment can get pretty humid, and I just don't go through the spices quickly enough to keep them out. I've had decent success with freezing ginger; I slice it into disks, lay it out on a cookie sheet, and bag it up once it's fully frozen.

[superborb]

Ooh good additions! I do actually have mustard powder around too, I just never reach for it... But I really have to get some hot sauce, I always forget.

Do you think the Worcestershire sauce is that different in use from fish sauce? It always seemed to add a similar umami note.

I have to go find some sumac. I think it's because the Indian grocery I get my spices from doesn't stock it, so I never think to get it. Also, I never thought to freeze spices before! I haven't had any issues, but something to keep in mind. I will definitely be trying the ginger freezing tip!! One day I will always have ginger around!

I will eat olives, pickles, and hard sausage too quickly, I can't keep them around ahahahaha. Too tasty!!

I try to eat less meat, which is why I don't keep a ton of it around. But I definitely also freeze my meat and such too.

Ooh, I haven't seen tinned trout or herring around. I'll keep an eye out! Do you use it in place of tuna directly?

[theladyscribe]

You know, I have never thought to try Worcestershire in place of fish sauce. A little bit goes a long way, so I think I'd be very spare with it (I wouldn't sub it in a recipe where fish sauce is the feature ingredient), but might be worth experimenting!

I don't have a ton of cabinet space, so freezing my spices helps keep them fresh and out of direct sunlight. You'll want to make sure whatever you keep them in is airtight to prevent them from going stale.

I hear you about the hard sausages - it is a Problem sometimes. And for the meat, yeah, I try to eat less, which is why it lives in my freezer lol. I usually pull one pack out per week and either make a dish that I'll eat the whole week (like soup or meatloaf) or divide it up to make 2-3 different things (meatballs, keema curry, tacos...).

To be completely honest, I usually eat trout and herring straight out of the can! Maybe I'll put them on crackers and add some seasoning, but I usually don't. They tend to be filets rather than packed like tuna - look for the flat sort of oblong-shaped tins (like sardine tins). I guess you could flake them and make a fish salad or spread with them, but I never do lol. I also should have mentioned canned salmon - it works well for making fishcakes! Just add an egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs, and panfry in a little canola oil.

[superborb]

Hmm! I haven't tried Worcestershire based recipes very much, and only ever ones that only call for small quantities, where probably just a vague umami note is all that ends up in the final dish!

See, I feel like freezer space is a more precious resource, but that may be because of the events of the last year or so that necessitated fewer grocery runs.

I will definitely try the trout and herring if I see it!! Sounds like a nice easy snack.

[theladyscribe]

So tonight I made soy butter glazed king oyster mushrooms (Woks of Life recipe), and since I never have dark soy sauce on hand, I used Worcestershire instead, and it worked really nicely! I still don't think I'd use it for anything that requires large quantities of either dark soy or fish sauce, but for something like this? Sure, why not!

[superborb]

Ooh, sounds tasty!

[whimsyful]

This is really extensive! Mine would be very similar, with a few additions:

• a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Essential for a good salad and to finish pasta and some soups/stews
  
• thai bird chilis, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, galangal -- really amps up store bought curry paste, and they freeze well
  
• fried shallots
  
• Shin ramen, Indomie Mie Goreng instant noodles -- not healthy, but I get the occasional epic cravings for them that nothing else can satisfy
  
• frozen fish balls/cakes - quick way to bulk up a bowl of ramen/udon/mie goreng
  
• kimchi

What brand of silken tofu and five spice tofu do you like? I find I'm super picky about silken tofu since I usually serve it very simply with some scallions and soy sauce and hot oil.

[superborb]

I just... have tried so many fancy olive oils, but other than directly for bread dipping and vinaigrettes, I just don't think I can taste a difference. Maybe my taste buds need to level up (or I need to eat more of those kinds of foods to get used to it?)

Thai bird chilis are definitely one of the chilis I usually keep around! I can't believe I've never thought of looking for lemongrass, as it's one of my favorite flavors, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for it. And the galangal! I just fear that it is too ginger-like, and I will fail to properly use it like I do the ginger.

I fear that I eat fried shallots too quickly to keep around ahahahaha

I sometimes do also keep Shin ramen around-- the extra flavoring packets are excellent over popcorn too! But if it's around, I'll eat it... Same for the kimchi, I think I end up eating too much salt when I keep it around.

Unfortunately, I just don't like fish balls or cakes that much ^^; I get them if we're doing hot pot or something, but otherwise... I wish I could like them more because they're so convenient! But alas.

The five spice tofu is 陈记特制上海五香干 Chan Kee Dried Bean Curd Co, Spiced Tofu. I have not yet found The One silken tofu brand. I tried all the brands at the grocery and they only ranged from okay to meh. I did spend a considerable amount of time trying to make my own tofu, since I make my own soymilk, but... coagulation has been a problem. Theoretically it should be simple! Yet I have not yet succeeded.

[whimsyful]

If you can taste the difference between brands of tofu, you can definitely taste the difference between olive oils. I think it's just that even a lot of the super fancy, expensive ones are crap (there's notoriously a lot of fraud and mislabelling in the EVOO industry). I also used to think that my palate just wasn't developed enough to tell the difference (I'm still not very experienced at tasting red wines) and didn't get why ppl were so effusive about EVOO, until I had one that blew my mind at a restaurant in, of all places, Mexico City. It was an Italian fusion place and their food was great, but I legit could have stuffed myself on their bread and that olive oil alone, it was that good. I haven't been able to find an EVOO stateside that matched up to that one yet, but in the meantime I use the California Olive Ranch 100% Californian-Grown Arbequina, and the Costco Kirkland Signature brand had some surprisingly good ones for the price.

I try to tell myself that Shin ramen isn't that bad because I only use half the flavoring packet...>.>

The best silken tofu I was able to find at my grocery store was the Shan Shui/山水 brand, but the last few batches I've gotten from them haven't been very good. Oh wow you've tried to make your own tofu! That's really impressive--the farthest I've gotten is making my own soy milk.

[superborb]

Oh, I can definitely taste the difference... when I taste it straight with like, bread. So I stock my single favorite kind from the Fancy Olive Oil place for bread dipping and call it good...

Ooh, I'll keep an eye out for that brand. And maybe try another coagulant. I've been using gypsum, but maybe I'll have better luck with something else.

[momijizukamori]

Yeah, this is in line with my cooking, though I have slightly fewer sauces (and only two kinds of soy sauce, a dark and a big bottle of Kikkoman). The additions I would make -
- meat, split into smaller portions and frozen (I usually have ground beef and boneless/skinless chicken, but depends on what you cook!)
- a selection of canned beans (usually pinto, red kidney, black, and then chickpeas)
-some boxed mixes for laziness (for me: boxed mac and cheese, some couscous and rice pilaf mixes, and I buy brownie mix on sale to have around
- carrots, which also keep forever in the fridge
- mirin
- instant dashi stock

For potatoes, unless you need the firmness/skin of russets, get red or yukon gold, they're tastier. Onions, I get yellow, as they're the most versatile. Vanilla should be REAL vanilla extract, not the artificial stuff.

(I do buy pre-grated parm because I'm too lazy to grate myself, I just... use a lot of it lol)

[superborb]

Hahahahah I have a slightly excessive number of soy sauces. TBF, the Wan Jan Shan I would simplify away! Except for some reason the Kimlam does not coagulate my soymilk appropriately for salty soymilk?!?! So I have to keep it around just for that.

I try to eat less meat, so I don't always have it around, but ground pork, thin shreds of pork, and whole chickens are my go tos!

Okay, but dried beans are SO GOOD. I'm a convert, I can't do the canned ones anymore. With a pressure cooker it's a lot easier though.

Do those kinds of mixes really save that much time? I always wonder. I feel like it takes just as long to boil some spaghetti and slap on some Rao's...

I also have carrots! Useful because my standard clear the refrigerator method is making carrot soup lol.

I think I've not explored Japanese food enough to need mirin or dashi! Potentially a next exploration option, hmm...

Intellectually, I know that potatoes are different in the waxy-tasty-etc department, ditto onions, but functionally... I just don't use them in ways that really show a difference, so I get whatever looks nicest in the store hehe.

[momijizukamori]

I don't eat a ton of meat, but I like having it around just in case. For beans.... I know dried is 'better', but I don't have a pressure-cooker and do have ADHD so things that require pre-prep steps.... do not happen.

The instant dashi granules don't take up a ton of space and last basically forever, so they're handy to have. I don't do a huge ton of Japanese cooking but I make tannindon/tamagodon a lot so I always have the supplies on hand.

I love potatoes in basically every form so I have developed Opinions(tm) about varieties. I mostly get Yukon Golds - they have a nice texture and the skin is thin enough to not be distasteful to eat (I will sometimes force myself to eat the skin on russets for the Nutrients but it's like eating dirt...)

[superborb]

Oh yeah, russet potato skin... I guess when it's roasted crispy it's okay...

[silveredeye]

I'm a super lazy cook and had an unflavorful childhood (my mother's family believed in, like, five flavorings: salt, black pepper, ketchup, mustard, horseradish or dill... okay, sometimes a laurel leaf also), so my list is... a bit like a stripped-down version of yours?

Things that live in the "carbs" cupboard:
- rice (jasmine, sushi, probably basmati and brown)
- Italian pasta (farfalle and linguine, also the whole wheat pasta my partner likes)
- noodles (ramen and egg)
- buckwheat
- lentils
- red beans

Things that live in cans/boxes in the pantry:
- green peas
- maize (my lazy meal is making a bunch of rice, chucking it onto the pan with a can of peas and maize each and frying a little. Lasts for a couple of days.)
- coconut milk (the creamier the better)
- peeled tomatoes
- tomato paste, with or without basil
- orange juice

Baking things:
- wheat flour
- whole-grain rye flour
- sugar (white and Demerara, plus vanilla sugar)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- potato starch
- cocoa
- marzipan
- baking chocolate (white, dark and average-ish)
- chocolate buttons (white and dark)
- peanut butter

My partner's muesli and its components:
- rolled oats, rolled rye, rolled wheat (at least I think they're all rolled), corn flakes, dried banana chips, raisins, flax seeds

Nuts:
- salted peanuts
- hazelnuts
- coconut flakes
- almond flakes
- pine nuts

Spices/seasoning:
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- soy sauce
- sesame oil
- teriyaki sauce
- vinegar (rice and balsamic)
- cinnamon
- cardamom
- pre-mixed curry thing
- smoked paprika

Ground coffee (ordinary and decaf)

Probably in the fridge at any given moment:
- eggs
- cheese (cheddar, parmesan)
- milk
- potatoes

[superborb]

Ooh, what do you do with your buckwheat?

Do you mean red kidney beans or another variety. So many been types!

[silveredeye]

Red kidney bean, yes. :D

I boil the buckwheat. It fills the same "this is carbs, now to find a protein to accompany it" niche as rice/pasta/potatoes, for me. It has a little stronger taste than plain rice/pasta, so I wouldn't use it with every food (like when I already have a sauce with a delicate taste of its own), but my partner has zero compunctions about making buckwheat with anything, and it seems to work out.

[superborb]

I will have to try the buckwheat, I've only ever had it in the form of buckwheat noodles!

[sophia_sol]

A fascinating read! I do love discovering just how different people are in what constitutes must-haves.

You and I have a fair amount of overlap, though you have some things as staples that for me would be unusual purchases. And I have some things that are absolute requirements that you don't!

Some of my must-haves:

- minute oats! which you specifically say not to use :P For me, I have cold uncooked oats for breakfast every day, and in that context the minute oats have the right texture for me
- soy milk - also for my breakfasts
- yellow raisins - also for my breakfasts
- several kinds of salt: regular iodized table salt, fine powdered salt for popcorn, pickling salt, and finishing salt
- chocolate chips for baking (and snacking)
- shredded coconut for baking (and snacking)
- split peas
- chickpea flour
- couscous
- lime juice
- Better Than Bouillon brand soup stock in chicken, beef, and vegetable
- homemade dill pickles
- looseleaf decaf earl grey tea
- at least 2 varieties of herbal tea
- spices/herbs you didn't already mention: basil, curry leaves, dill, fenugreek leaves, garam masala, mustard seed, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, summer savory, thyme

[superborb]

LOL that does make me want to try minute oats again! I haven't had it in a while and well, I always think anything is worth trying periodically just in case you change your mind.

Soy milk is hidden here in the form of soy beans :P. I couldn't find any place to get fresh soy milk, and the packaged stuff fills a different niche for me.

Ooh, I should try fine powdered salt for popcorn. I've been grinding the salt with my popcorn mix, but I think it doesn't get quite as fine as ideal.

I've always heard (...and the overly invested cocktail book I'm currently reading makes a point of) how lime juice is more delicate than lemon. Do you find that it doesn't matter so much?

Wow, that list of herbs really drives in that I don't cook much Western style food, which often relies on the latter half of that list!

[sophia_sol]

Probably if I tasted fresh-squeezed lime juice side by side with the bottled stuff I would notice a distinct difference, and using fresh might elevate the foods I cook with it, but....if I didn't use bottled lime juice I would just never use lime juice, because making sure to have fresh limes on hand for the occasions when I need them is a little beyond me. And having the bottled lime juice is far better than no lime juice at all!

Tbh I don't use the western style herbs in a lot of things, but there are a few recipes I like that use various of them, so it's important for me to keep them on hand for those! And the summer savory is actually a very unusual herb even for western style food, but there's a specific dish from my cultural background that needs it, and occasionally I just really crave that dish.

[superborb]

Hah, that's the same reason I keep lemon juice around! It's just so much easier.

Makes sense! I have been seeing summer savory in a lot of recipes lately, so maybe it's becoming more well known.

[sophia_sol]

Oh interesting! Apparently I don't follow the right youtube cookery shows and/or don't google the right recipes, I haven't seen summery savory in any recent recipes! It would be nice if a resurgence in interest would allow fresh summer savory to be available in grocery stores again.

[superborb]

That'd be awesome! I don't think I've ever seen it fresh before...

[shati]

Your pantry sounds so functional... This reminded me to go through mine this weekend, which it really needed.

It's definitely worth it to me (lazy owner of only a mortar and pestle) to buy preground spices and just use more as they get less fresh, but by volume garlic/onion and red pepper powders are the ones I use the most, and they're not super bitter in large amounts.

(Also I eat quick oats and the pre-grated cardboard parm all the time but you're absolutely right, they're both awful, I love them. I can never eat real oatmeal in case it ruins me for the oatmeal I wake up in time for.)

[superborb]

Haha, I do seem to acquire preground stuff somehow (people want to throw it away or give it as gifts) and then I feel like it's a waste to throw out... But I definitely recommend those small 15$ spice grinders! So much easier than a mortar and pestle.

[chestnut_pod]

I love seeing into other people's kitchens/pantries. Thanks for the peek!

[superborb]

Glad it was interesting!!