Vent: Everyone in my building swears by the 'dollar store spice rack' but my chili tasted like cardboard until I spent $4 on cumin at the market in Denver last month.

I swapped out the cheap stuff for the good stuff in my big pot of beans and rice, and the flavor difference was so huge that I think saving money on spices is a total waste if it makes your food taste bad, so has anyone else found a cheap ingredient that's just NOT worth skimping on?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark43611d ago

Totally agree on spices. Found the same thing with cheap cinnamon, it just tastes like dust. Good olive oil is another one for me.

hall.joel11d ago

Ugh, the garlic powder thing is so real. I learned my lesson with cumin. The cheap stuff from the big box store smells like nothing. Got some from a local spice shop and it's like a whole new spice, smells amazing the second you open the jar. It's worth hunting down a good source, even if you have to order online. Makes a huge difference in everything.

karenh5611d ago

Oh man, do I feel this. Got a cheap jar of garlic powder once. It was like flavorless beige sand. Ruined a whole batch of soup. My good paprika from the little European market? Totally different world. Some stuff you just have to buy once and get the real deal.