Pantry Guides

Ingredients

Demystify spices, know your flours, and learn how to stock your kitchen for different cuisines with our pantry guides.

Side view of finished pohe

The Ancient Spice That Replaces Garlic and Onion With a Pinch

A bowl and plate containing freshly baked buttermilk biscuits

The Real Reason Your Baked Goods Won't Rise (It's Not the Recipe)

Closeup of the Diletta Mio Espresso Machine brewing an espresso into a glass

A Pinch of This Everyday Ingredient Might Make Your Coffee Taste Smoother

Overhead view of ground ginger in a bowl

Ground Ginger Deserves More Love in Your Baking Rotation—Here's How to Use It

Graphic of baking soda and diced onions

This Simple Kitchen Hack Gets You Golden Onions in Record Time

A tray of cups filled with gravy samples each containing a spoon or utensil for tasting

We Taste-Tested 19 Brands of Turkey Gravy—Here Are Our Favorites

Bowl of chicken and dumpling soup with herbs

This Pantry Staple Is My Shortcut to Creamier Soups, Desserts, Mac and Cheese, and More

Hand holding a salted popcorn kernel with more popcorn in the background

Why Your Seasoning Never Sticks to Popcorn—and the Simple Fix That Actually Works

Baked chicken thighs with chickpeas on a tray garnished with herbs in a savory sauce

I Grew Up With Harissa. Here’s How I Use It on Everything

Overhead view of cornbreads

We Taste-Tested 11 Cornbread Mixes—Here Are Our Favorites

A bowl of gyeranbap a Korean dish with rice fried eggs and seaweed

How I Turn Leftover Rice Into a Bowl of Pure Comfort

Close crop of a sheet pan chicken

Bharat (Levantine Spice Mix)

Bowl of beef stew for Serious Eats

The Savory Canadian Spice Blend I Use on Everything From Popcorn to Beef Stew

A pizza topped with lettuce crushed tortilla chips and a red sauce being applied by a spoon

I’m a Lazy Home Cook—This One Ingredient Makes Me Look Like a Pro

Plated moussaka showing off layers

Stop Saving Cinnamon for Sweets—Here's Why It Belongs in Dinner Too

A piece of ghee melting in a stainless steel frying pan on a stove

How I Turn Butter Into Liquid Gold—And Why It Makes Everything Taste Better

A dish of rice topped with barberries served on a metal platter placed on a patterned tablecloth

Small, Tart, and Powerful: The Flavor Booster That's Brightened Persian Meals for Centuries

Six boxes of waffle brands arranged on a countertop

We Taste-Tested 7 Brands of Frozen Waffles—Here Are Our Favorites

An assortment of sliced vegetables and opened cans of fish on a tray

Oil-Packed Tuna Is a Game-Changer—Here Are 6 Ways I Turn It Into Dinner

View of Swedish candy on a grid.

Swedish Candy Is Still Viral for a Reason—Here's Why It’s So Much Better

Closeup of sliced dates soaking in liquid

I Grew up Eating Dates Every Day—Here’s the Best Way to Cook With Them

An arrangement of various open tins of fish displayed with accompaniments like olives and bread

9 Easy Recipes to Make With Canned Fish, According to Our Editors

Opened sardine cans scattered on a surface showing their contents of fish

I Eat Canned Sardines Every Week. These Are 6 Easy Ways I Prep Them at Home

Variety of looseleaf teas and herbs scattered on a surface

So Long, Pumpkin Spice: Meet Fall's Most Surprising "Spice"

The baked maple brown sugar oatmeal cookies cooling on a wire rack.

My Simple Ingredient Swap for the Coziest Fall Desserts

Overhead view of pork chop sandwich

MSG Is Proven Safe and Delicious. So Why Isn’t It Used Like Salt in Most Kitchens?

A wrapped dish on a plate bread and bowl of food in the background on a table

Stop Overlooking Fig Leaves—Here's How to Unlock Their Flavor

Dish of pasta garnished with tomatoes basil and grated cheese with a fork lifting a bite

The Easiest Pasta Sauce Is Already in Your Fridge

Rendering pork fat to make lard.

Flakier Pie Crusts, Crispier Fried Chicken, Richer Noodles—This One Ingredient Does It All

Spoon lifting beef chunks and vegetables from a bowl of stew

My Mom's Secret Ingredient Makes Everything Taste Better

Overhead view of freekeh on a blue plate

Make Your Risotto, Pilaf, and Grain Salads Taste Their Best With This 2-Minute Trick

16 Recipes Where Homemade Is So Much Better Than Store-Bought

A jar of breadandbutter pickles viewed from above

Food Snobs Hate This American Classic—Here's Why They're Wrong

A variety of protein bars placed together displaying different brands and flavors

We Taste-Tested 26 Brands of Protein Bars—Here Are Our Favorites

Knafeh being drizzled with syrup from above set on a round copper tray with handles

This Centuries-Old Ingredient Makes Almost Everything Taste Like Magic

Openfaced sandwich with sliced cucumber on bread with a white spread topped with herbs served on a wooden surface

The Marinated Cheese That Quietly Went From Hidden Gem to Cult Favorite

Multiple bowls containing tinned sardines shown in various presentations

We Taste-Tested 17 Brands of Canned Sardines—Our Winner May Surprise You

Tomato puree being poured into a pan with sautéed onions on a stovetop surface

The Genius Tomato Sauce Upgrade Italians Have Always Known About

Overhead view of dumping oats into a bowl

Want Better Oatmeal? It All Starts With Buying the Right Oats

Collage of curry powdeers

What Is Curry Powder? A Comprehensive Guide to the Spice Blend That Spans Cultures

Essential ingredients of a Persian Pantry

Stocking a Persian Pantry: Explore The 2,500+ Year-Old Cuisine With These Ingredients and Recipes

Bread vs Ap Flour

Bread Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour: Our Culinary Team Explains the (Very Important!) Difference

Basmati and jasmine rice

Basmati vs. Jasmine Rice: Here Are the Most Important Differences, According to Experts

A collage of fish sauce and different dishes.

The Umami-Rich Pantry Ingredient That Will Instantly Improve Your Cooking (It's Not MSG)

Basmati rice

What Is Basmati Rice? A Guide to What Some Call the "Queen of Rice"

Graphic of Orange Blossom bottles

Why I Always Keep This Sweet, Floral Ingredient in My Pantry

Graphic for Jasmine rice

You Can Get the "World's Best Rice" in Almost Any Supermarket—Here's How to Buy the Best and Cook It Properly

a group of pantry items typically used in Jamaican cooking

How to Stock a Jamaican Kitchen: The 3 Types of Indispensable Ingredients

Overhead view of pink peppercorns

How to Use Your Favorite Forgotten Spice of the ’90s

Overhead view of all the essential ingredients needed in a pantry to cook a range of Nigerian dishes. Ingredients range from spices to roots to tinned food and fresh spices, organized in a neat grid

Everything You Need to Know About Stocking a Nigerian Pantry

Bowl of black peppercorns and a bowl of white peppercorns

White Pepper vs. Black Pepper: What's the Actual Difference?

Overhead view of items in an Armenian Pantry

Your Complete Guide to Stocking an Armenian Pantry

Doughnuts with pistachio cream and pistachios on top on a tan plate.

Here’s Why Sweet, Green Pistachio Cream Has Replaced Nutella in My Kitchen

Best Places to Buy Spices Online

The Best Places to Buy (Whole, Ground, Blended) Spices Online

a variety of jars of honey with their tops open

The Ultimate Guide to Selecting the Best Honey, According to Experts

Cascade of ground coriander followed by whole coriander seeds.

What is Coriander?

Overhead view of star anise on a plate on a purple background

What is Star Anise?

Overhead view of sumac in a bowl

A number of chili crisps on a wooden coutnertop.

I Tasted 18 Chili Crisps to Find Spicy, Savory, and Garlicky Options

a variety of tinned fish on a pale, sea foam green background

The Best Tinned Fish (and Other Seafood) You Can Buy Online

A spread on a table featuring several tins of caviar and accompaniments.

To Find the Best Caviars You Can Buy Online, We Tasted 19 Tins (and Researched for Days)

Curry leaves on a plate with Spice Cabinet badge

What Are Curry Leaves?

Cornstarch being added to cheese

A Guide to Cornstarch

Overhead view of Korean pantry ingredients arranged on a dark gray surface.

How to Stock a Korean Pantry: Jeot, Jang, and More Ingredients to Know