Substitutes

Annatto powder is an essential spice when it comes to spicy food flavorings. Annatto is a versatile ingredient that can add an intense flavour to almost any dish. Annatto peppers comes from a tree known as the achiote tree, which is native to South America.. This pepper is a staple in Latin American, Caribbean, and Filipino cuisines. But what do you do when you need this ingredient in your dish, and there is none available? You can use other substitutes for annatto powder instead, such as paprika, saffron powder, hibiscus powder, turmeric, beet powder, nutmeg, Safflower Powder, ginger powder, and … Read more

If you prepare Asian cuisines frequently, soy sauce is one of the most common ingredients you reach for at the grocery store. There are three different types of soy sauce available in the market; light soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce has a dark color, as the name suggests, and a thicker consistency. It adds a great touch of color and umami flavor to dishes.  Dark soy sauce is an essential ingredient in noodles, fried rice, and marinades. If you are out of dark soy sauce, you can still achieve a nice dark and … Read more

Also known as pomegranate concentrate or pomegranate syrup, pomegranate molasses is highly sought after in Lebanese and Persian cuisine. It’s a relatively thick, honey-like syrup prepared by simmering to reduce the fluid of the bitter pomegranates. This delightful syrup is sharp and lovely, having around 35% of sugar. However, since molasses is so particular to Middle Eastern cuisine, it’s not readily accessible in other parts of the world. Yes. But it doesn’t mean your Turkish-inspired dinner is wrecked, as you can always use other pomegranate molasses substitutes. There are a lot of other sweet and sour flavorings that can effortlessly … Read more

The Anaheim pepper originates from California and is named after a town, “Anaheim,” which made it famous. This chili is very versatile and is mild in flavor and heat. But if for any reason you don’t want to use Anaheim pepper, you can also opt for suitable Anaheim pepper substitutes, such as jalapeno pepper, poblano pepper, bell pepper, chilaca pepper, serrano chilies, Fresno pepper, etc. Anaheim measures 500-2,500 Scoville heat units, which, compared to jalapeno pepper, ranges from 2,500 to 8,000 SHU; you can tell Anaheim is milder, but it isn’t without a bit of a kick. What Does Anaheim … Read more

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese-style pancake that is made from shredded eggs, cabbage, water, flour, and many other toppings. You might be able to find some flour that is exclusively for okonomiyaki in Japanese grocery stores. Delicious okonomiyaki can be prepared just by using the flour as an active ingredient, but what happens when you can’t get this flour anywhere around you? You can simply use other okonomiyaki flour substitutes instead. All-purpose flour, Japanese or Chinese yam, Takoyaki flour, tempura flour, bread crumbs, potato starch, rice flour, and okara powder are some of the most suitable alternatives to okonomiyaki flour you … Read more

Arrowroot is a great thickening agent that is essential when cooking as you can use it to thicken pies, custards, and even gravies. They also add a certain level of taste and flavor to your plate. Arrowroot is similar to ginger and is not readily available most times. Since this agent is unique, can it be substituted by something else if you do not have it at hand? The answer to this is yes, and there are many alternatives if you do not have any arrowroot starch on hand. Some of the best arrowroot starch substitutes that you can use … Read more

These days, there are a lot of flours that you can use for a lot of daily feeding, and rye flour is one of the commonly used options in a lot of cuisines around the world. Rye flour is gotten from the ryegrass, which is grown in many parts of the world, and due to the absence of gluten, it is really very healthy and can also be very nutritious. There are different types of rye ranging from the lighter to darker versions of this crop, but what happens if you need it for a dish and there’s none at … Read more

Barley is a gluten-free grain often used in soups and sauces to plump up the sauce, add body, and a completely different texture from whole cereals such as brown or wild rice. It contains a lot of protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and selenium. Furthermore, it tends to grow in every region around the world, and It’s simple to develop from seed at home because you don’t need a garden space — the seeds can be planted in pots. Although barley is gluten-free, if you try substituting pearl barley for whole barley, you should also use organic ingredients. This … Read more

Bok Choy is a member of the Chinese Cucurbitaceae family or cabbage family and can be found in various recipes. This Asian vegetable has sturdy stems with leaf tissue and is readily accessible all year. Remember that it is a vegetable that can be used as quickly as possible and should be stored safely to keep things fresh afterward. If stored correctly in the refrigerator, it could last up to 3 to 5 days. Bok choy has cabbage-like flavor profiles, and the leaf buds have a sour taste. The white stem is water-filled and has a luscious mouthfeel. Even so, … Read more

Raspberry jam is made with raspberry as one of its primary ingredients. The seeds are removed from the raspberries, and then the fruit is cut into smaller portions or crushed before it is cooked in sugar syrup. To make this jam, you’ll be needing pectin, which serves as a jellying agent to give it that sticky feel, and you can use sugar or honey optionally. Sometimes you might need your raspberry jam for your sandwiches, but what happens if they are finished at that time, and you don’t have the time to look at the stores? You can’t just decide … Read more

Havarti cheese is a popular cheese used on pizzas, grilled chicken, pasta, and sandwiches. It can be used in the shredded and melted form in many recipes as it is a versatile cheese. What happens if you require Havarti cheese for a recipe and you’re out of them? Well, there will be no need to worry as there are many other alternatives to Havarti cheese that can fit perfectly into the dish. Some of the most suitable Havarti cheese substitutes are Tilsit cheese, esrom cheese, comté cheese, Monterey jack cheese, Colby cheese, saint paulin, cheddar cheese, gouda cheese, and edam … Read more

Kaffir lime leaves are among the most popular condiments used in Asian cuisines. It is a staple in most of the cuisines in Thai as it has a pleasant and strong aroma of fresh lime. Apart from using them for cooking, these leaves can also be eaten raw. The leaves used are collected from the kaffir limes plant, although it is tough to find them outside Asia since it is native there. If you’re looking for an alternative to fit in for these leaves, or you don’t like the strong flavor and need other kaffir lime leaves substitutes, we’ll help … Read more