When it comes to condiments, it's no longer enough to stock your cupboards with "a manky bottle of ketchup and a half-used jar of mustard", said The Telegraph. These days "food-savvy households" are swapping out the "old faithfuls" for an array of "fiery, umami-laden" sauces and seasonings that "add punch" to even the most basic meals. Here are some of the best.
Kombu tsuyu
Made with kelp and bonito extracts, this concentrated stock is used in a variety of Japanese dishes. "Sweeter and less salty" than soy sauce, it's incredibly "versatile" and tastes good on "everything", said chef Dan Hong in The Guardian. Try it as a "base for noodles with shallot oil" or drizzle it over rice with seaweed and sesame oil for a quick and "tasty" dish.
£5.60, starrymart.co.uk
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Tajín
"Sour, spicy and extremely addictive", this Mexican seasoning adds an instant hit of flavour to any meal, said chef Chanthy Yen in Time Out. Crafted with mild chilli peppers, lime and salt, I add it to my instant ramen or sprinkle it on my chips for an "interesting punch".
£2.95, mexgrocer.co.uk
Spaghetti dust
This "handy blend" of garlic, chilli and olive oil is a "popular, no-effort flavour bomb" that can be shaken into pasta sauces or sprinkled over roasted vegetables, said The Telegraph. "Deeply tasty" and a welcome addition to countless dishes, it's a great little pot to keep in your cupboard.
£7.50, dowsedesign.co.uk
Lao Gan Ma crispy chilli oil
Massively popular in China, Lao Gan Ma's crispy chilli oils have also gained a "passionate following among western food geeks", said The Guardian. With its "incredible savoury depth", the original fried onion and Guizhou chilli oil is the "cult classic", while the black bean version is the "connoisseur's choice".
£2.75, tuktukmart.co.uk
Ata Din Din
"The sauce I always have in my fridge is Ata Din Din," said Yewande Komolafe in The New York Times. The spicy Nigerian condiment is packed with "coarsely pureed red bell peppers" and has an "intense savouriness you can't help but inhale as you taste". Use it "lavishly" over everything from bowls of rice to scrambled eggs.
£6.99, dellimarket.co.uk
Gochujang hot honey
This Korean style hot honey is made with wildflower honey and infused with scotch bonnet chillies for a fiery kick. Both "salty and spicy", the gochujang adds a "rich, umami intensity to the sweet honey", with a heat that gradually builds, said Closer. "A love match made in heaven for deep-fried chicken."
£7.99, wilderkitchenfood.com
Zhoug
Packed with parsley and coriander, this "exhilarating" Yemeni green chilli and garlic sauce will add zing to any salad or falafel pitta, said The Guardian. Edna's Kitchen in Bristol does a "terrific" zhoug, or you can pick up a jar in Waitrose.
£2.00, waitrose.com
