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Ingredient substitutes by category

The index to the whole box: the staple swaps with their amounts, then the first 9 cards in every category, with a line on what each one is and how many options its card lists, and a link to the rest of its drawer.

For the top swap and amount for every ingredient, the ingredient substitution guide is the shorter read.

Quick reference

All 2,550 cards

The staple swaps, as they appear on their cards

Quick reference
Out of	Use	Amount	Category
Butter	Stick margarine1 cup per cup	1 cup per cup	Dairy
Eggs	Flax egg1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water per egg	1 tbsp flax + 3 tbsp water per egg	Eggs
Buttermilk	Milk + lemon juice or vinegar1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acid per 1 cup buttermilk	1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acid per 1 cup buttermilk	Dairy
Heavy cream	Half and half + butter¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup melted butter per 1 cup heavy cream	¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup melted butter per 1 cup heavy cream	Dairy
Baking powder	Baking soda + vinegar or lemon juice¼ tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice per 1 tsp baking powder	¼ tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice per 1 tsp baking powder	Baking
Cornstarch	All-purpose flour2 tbsp per 1 tbsp	2 tbsp per 1 tbsp	Baking
Milk	Soy milk (unsweetened)Same amount	Same amount	Dairy
Sour cream	Plain Greek yogurt (full-fat)Same amount	Same amount	Dairy
Brown sugar	Granulated sugar + molasses1 cup + 1 tbsp per cup	1 cup + 1 tbsp per cup	Sweeteners
Baking soda	Baking powder3 tsp per 1 tsp	3 tsp per 1 tsp	Baking
Vanilla extract	Vanilla bean pasteSame amount	Same amount	Sauces & condiments
Lemon juice	Lime juiceSame amount	Same amount	Fruits

Spices & herbs

All 209 cards

Spices, herbs, and seasoning substitutes

Spices & herbs
Out of	About
Adobo seasoning3 options	Latin American seasoning blend with garlic, oregano, and other spices.
Advieh7 options	Advieh is the everyday Iranian spice blend, a warm and floral mix usually built on cinnamon, cardamom, dried rose petals, cumin and turmeric, which changes from region to region and household to household and comes in a rice version, advieh-e polo, and a stew version, advieh-e khoresh.
Aji molido6 options	Coarsely ground dried sweet red pepper used across Argentina and Uruguay, sold as dulce for the mild version and picante when hot chilli has been blended in, and its job in a chimichurri is colour, a gentle sweet pepper flavour and coarse flakes that stay visible in the sauce rather than heat.
Ajwain6 options	A tiny ridged seed, also sold as carom seed, ajowan or bishop's weed and known in Ethiopia as nech azmud, that tastes powerfully of thyme with a bitter, oregano-like bite; its job is sharp aroma in fried doughs, dals and pickles rather than heat or bulk.
Aleppo pepper6 options	Dried pepper from Syria with a mild, fruity heat and smoky flavor, used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking.
Alicha spice blend6 options	Alicha spice blend, ye'alicha kimem, is the deliberately mild Ethiopian seasoning built on turmeric with ginger, garlic and cardamom, used for gentle yellow stews such as kik alicha and alicha wot.
Allspice7 options	One spice and not a blend: the dried unripe berry of the Pimenta dioica tree, sold whole or ground, which tastes like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves at once because it shares its dominant aroma compound, eugenol, with cloves.
Amchar masala6 options	Amchar masala is a dark, coarsely ground Trinidadian spice blend built on heavily roasted cumin, coriander, mustard seed and fenugreek, used to season mango chow, kuchela and pickled fruit.
Amchur5 options	Dried mango powder with tangy, slightly sweet flavor and fine texture.

Sauces & condiments

All 229 cards

Sauces, condiments, and flavor enhancers

Sauces & condiments
Out of	About
Achiote paste6 options	Vibrant red paste made from annatto seeds, used for coloring and flavoring in Latin American cuisine.
Adjika6 options	A hot, salty, intensely garlicky Georgian and Abkhazian pepper condiment built from red chillies, garlic, salt and herbs such as coriander and blue fenugreek, sold both as a wet paste and as a dry rub-like powder, and in a dish it is doing three jobs at once: heat, seasoning salt and raw garlic bite.
Adobo sauce5 options	A garlicky vinegar sauce that goes by two names: the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaf braising liquid of Filipino adobo, and the smoky red chile sauce that chipotles are canned in.
Agrodolce6 options	An Italian sweet-and-sour sauce made by reducing vinegar with sugar or honey until syrupy, and the word also describes any dish finished that way, such as caponata or agrodolce onions.
Aioli6 options	Provence and Catalonia's thick cold garlic sauce, listed on English-language menus as garlic aioli or garlic mayonnaise, and traditionally nothing more than raw garlic pounded to a paste with salt and emulsified with olive oil; its job on a plate is fat plus raw garlic pungency plus salt, served cold and clinging, which is what makes lean things like fish, fries and plain vegetables taste rich and sharp at once.
Aji verde6 options	Aji verde, also called Peruvian green sauce or simply green aji, is a creamy blended sauce of fresh green chilli, a large quantity of cilantro, garlic, lime and mayonnaise or crema, served alongside pollo a la brasa and grilled meats.
Ajvar6 options	Ajvar, sometimes written aivar and described on English labels as red pepper relish or Serbian pepper spread, is a Balkan condiment of roasted red peppers, often with roasted eggplant, cooked down slowly with oil, salt and a little vinegar into a thick, smoky, faintly sweet spread.
Alabama white sauce7 options	Alabama white sauce, also called white barbecue sauce or Alabama white BBQ sauce, is a thin, sharp, mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce from north Alabama built on cider vinegar, coarse black pepper and horseradish, and traditionally mopped over smoked chicken.
Amba sauce6 options	Amba, sometimes written anba, is a thin bright yellow Iraqi condiment made from pickled green mango blended with vinegar, turmeric, fenugreek, mustard and chili, poured over sabich, falafel, shawarma and grilled fish.

Vegetables & aromatics

All 227 cards

Fresh vegetables, aromatics, and plant-based ingredients

Vegetables & aromatics
Out of	About
Ackee6 options	The soft, pale-yellow flesh of the ackee fruit, cooked as a vegetable rather than eaten as a fruit, sold outside Jamaica almost entirely in cans of brine and best known as the base of ackee and saltfish.
Afang leaves (okazi)6 options	Afang, also called okazi, ukazi, eru and wild spinach and known botanically as Gnetum africanum, is a tough, leathery dark green forest vine leaf sold finely shredded and used in the Efik and Ibibio soup that shares its name.
Amaranth greens6 options	The market name for the tender leaves and stems of the amaranth plant, which turn up under a different name in almost every cuisine that uses them: callaloo bush in Jamaica, Chinese spinach or een choy in Chinese shops, bhaji or chaulai in Indian ones, and African spinach or terere in West and East African markets.
Arracacha6 options	Arracacha, sold as racacha, apio criollo, Peruvian parsnip or white carrot, is an Andean root vegetable with white to pale yellow flesh that cooks very soft and tastes like a cross between celery, parsnip and potato.
Artichoke hearts3 options	Tender, meaty part of the artichoke with mild, nutty flavor, used in cooking and salads.
Arugula6 options	Peppery, leafy green with a distinctive spicy flavor, commonly used in salads and as a garnish.
Asparagus6 options	Tender, green vegetable with mild, earthy flavor and crisp texture, used in cooking and as a side dish.
Baby bella mushrooms4 options	Young portobello mushrooms with earthy flavor and meaty texture, good for cooking and grilling.
Baby gem lettuce6 options	Very small, sweet lettuce with crisp, tender leaves, good for individual servings and garnishes.

Sweeteners

All 107 cards

Sugar and sweetener alternatives

Sweeteners
Out of	About
Agave6 options	Natural sweetener made from agave plant with mild, neutral flavor, used in cooking and baking.
Agave syrup6 options	Liquid sweetener made from agave plant with mild, neutral flavor and lower glycemic index than sugar, commonly used in cooking and baking.
Algarrobina6 options	Algarrobina is a thick, almost black Peruvian syrup boiled down from the pods of the algarrobo or huarango tree, a desert carob relative, and sold as algarrobina syrup or black carob molasses.
Applesauce7 options	Pureed apples with sweet, fruity flavor and smooth texture, used in baking and as a natural sweetener.
Blackstrap molasses3 options	Dark, thick syrup with bitter, robust flavor, used in baking and cooking.
Bochasweet6 options	Natural zero-calorie sweetener made from Japanese kabocha squash with a clean, neutral taste, commonly used in sugar-free and diabetic-friendly recipes.
Brown rice syrup6 options	Natural sweetener made from brown rice, with a mild, caramel-like flavor and lower glycemic index than sugar.
Brown sugar7 options	Granulated white sugar with molasses added back in — about 3.5% molasses for light brown and about 6.5% for dark brown — which is what makes it damp, clumpy enough to hold the shape of the cup, and faintly acidic.
Brown sugar syrup6 options	Brown sugar syrup is brown sugar dissolved in water, made either as a pourable 1:1 syrup for cocktails or as a thick 2:1 syrup for brown sugar boba and coffee drinks.

Grains & starches

All 170 cards

Rice, grains, and starch alternatives

Grains & starches
Out of	About
All purpose flour7 options	Versatile wheat flour with medium protein content, used in baking and cooking.
Almond flour7 options	Ground almond flour with nutty, sweet flavor, used in gluten-free baking.
Amaranth flour6 options	Amaranth flour is a fine gluten-free flour milled from whole amaranth seed, sold in Indian shops as rajgira flour or rajgira atta, with an earthy, faintly peppery, almost savoury flavour.
Amaranth6 options	Amaranth, known as kiwicha in Peru and rajgira or ramdana in India, is a tiny gluten-free pseudo-grain about the size of a poppy seed that cooks into a sticky, creamy porridge with a peppery, faintly grassy flavor.
Ambasha6 options	Ambasha is the Ethiopian and Eritrean celebration bread, a thick, mildly sweet wheat loaf heavily scented with cardamom and baked as a wide disc with a spoked wheel pattern scored into the top.
Arborio rice4 options	Short-grain rice with high starch content, essential for creamy risotto.
Arborio3 options	Short-grain rice with high starch content, used primarily for risotto.
Arrowroot flour6 options	Fine white flour made from the arrowroot plant with neutral flavor and clear thickening properties, commonly used in baking and cooking.
Arrowroot7 options	Fine white powder made from the root of the arrowroot plant, used as a clear, neutral-tasting thickener in cooking and baking.

Dairy

All 133 cards

Dairy products and plant-based alternatives

Dairy
Out of	About
Acidophilus milk6 options	Acidophilus milk is ordinary pasteurised milk with the bacterium Lactobacillus acidophilus added to it, and the version most people have met, labelled sweet acidophilus milk, is kept cold so the culture stays dormant and the milk tastes and behaves exactly like plain milk.
All-purpose cream6 options	The shelf-stable, unsweetened, stabilised table cream sold in 250 ml packs across the Philippines, sitting at roughly 20 to 25 percent milkfat, which puts it between light cream and heavy cream, and its job in a recipe is to add smooth, faintly sweet richness and body to a sauce or dessert without splitting.
Amasi6 options	Amasi, sold in South Africa as maas and known as amasi sour milk, is naturally fermented milk that has thickened and soured into a tart, slightly grainy cultured milk, traditionally soured in a calabash gourd until the thick curd separates from a thin sour whey.
American cheese6 options	Processed cheese with smooth, creamy texture and mild flavor, known for its excellent melting properties.
Ashta6 options	Ashta, also called qishta, kashta or ishta, is the thick mildly sweet Levantine cream used to fill knafeh, atayef and halawet el jibn, traditionally skimmed from simmering milk but usually made now by thickening milk and cream with cornstarch and scenting it with rose and orange blossom water.
Blue cheese5 options	Aged cheese with distinctive blue or green veins of mold, known for its strong, tangy flavor and crumbly texture.
Boursin cheese6 options	French soft cheese spread with herbs and garlic, creamy and spreadable, good for crackers, bread, and cooking.
Brick5 options	American semi-soft cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor and smooth texture, similar to Muenster but with a different production method.
Brie cheese5 options	Soft, creamy French cheese with a white, edible rind and mild, buttery flavor.

Alcohol & vinegars

All 159 cards

Alcoholic beverages and vinegars

Alcohol & vinegars
Out of	About
Aged balsamic vinegar (Tradizionale)6 options	Aged balsamic vinegar - properly Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena or di Reggio Emilia DOP, sold as 12-year, 25-year or extravecchio in small 100ml bottles - is cooked grape must fermented and then aged for years in a descending series of wooden casks until it is thick, almost black, and simultaneously sweet, sour and intensely aromatic.
Amaretto6 options	Sweet Italian liqueur with almond flavor, commonly used in cocktails and desserts.
Amaro Nonino6 options	Italian herbal liqueur with complex bittersweet flavor, made from herbs, roots, and spices.
Amaro8 options	Italian herbal liqueur with complex bittersweet flavor, made from herbs, roots, and spices.
Amarone6 options	Amarone, properly Amarone della Valpolicella, is a powerful dry red wine from the Veneto made from grapes dried on mats for months before pressing, which gives it 15 to 16 percent alcohol and a dense flavour of dried cherry, raisin and bitter chocolate despite having almost no sugar left in it.
Amer Picon5 options	French bitter liqueur with orange and gentian flavor and smooth texture.
Amontillado sherry6 options	Amontillado is a dry Spanish fortified wine from Jerez that begins as a pale fino under a veil of flor yeast and then ages in contact with air, which gives it an amber colour and a toasted-almond aroma without making it sweet.
Aperol6 options	Italian bitter orange aperitif with a distinctive orange-red color and bittersweet flavor.
Apple balsamic vinegar6 options	Apple balsamic vinegar is a thick, sweet-tart vinegar made by concentrating apple juice or cider the way traditional balsamic concentrates grape must, sold as apple cider balsamic or apfelbalsamico and usually paler and fruitier than grape balsamic.

Liquor

All 61 cards

Spirits and liqueurs

Liquor
Out of	About
Absinthe6 options	Absinthe is a very strong spirit, usually 110 to 140 proof, flavoured with wormwood, green anise and fennel, and in cocktails it is almost always used as a rinse, meaning a few drops swirled around the glass and tipped out.
Advocaat6 options	Advocaat is a thick, pale yellow Dutch liqueur made from egg yolks, sugar and brandy, closer to a pourable boozy custard than to a normal spirit.
Ancho Reyes6 options	A Mexican chile liqueur from Puebla, around 40 percent alcohol, made by macerating dried ancho chiles in cane spirit with sugar and spice, with a green Verde bottle made from fresh poblanos instead.
Applejack6 options	Applejack is American apple brandy, distilled from hard cider and aged in oak, and the widely sold blended version from Laird's is apple brandy cut with neutral grain spirit, which makes it lighter and less intensely appley than the bonded bottling.
Apricot brandy6 options	Apricot brandy is a sweet amber apricot liqueur, usually made by flavouring a brandy or neutral spirit base rather than by distilling apricots, so it is sugary rather than dry.
Aquavit3 options	Scandinavian spirit flavored with caraway and other spices, traditionally served chilled.
Arak6 options	The clear unsweetened Levantine spirit distilled from grapes and redistilled with aniseed, also spelled araq and usually 40 to 53 percent alcohol, which turns milky white the moment water is added; in cooking it is there for licorice aroma and a clean alcoholic bite that cuts through fat, not for sweetness or body.
Banana liqueur6 options	Banana liqueur, sold as creme de banane or banana schnapps, is a sweet bright yellow liqueur flavoured with banana, and it tastes of candy banana rather than fresh fruit.
Becherovka6 options	A golden Czech herbal bitter liqueur from Karlovy Vary, sweet and warmly spiced with cinnamon, clove and gentian root so that it tastes a little like liquid gingerbread with a bitter finish, and its job in a drink is to bring that bittersweet spice, a syrupy body and a good deal of sugar all in one pour.

Oils & fats

All 70 cards

Cooking oils and fat substitutes

Oils & fats
Out of	About
Almond oil6 options	Mild, sweet oil extracted from almonds with delicate nutty flavor, commonly used in baking, skincare, and light cooking applications.
Argan oil6 options	An amber, viscous finishing oil pressed from the roasted kernels of the argan tree of southwest Morocco, smelling strongly of toasted nuts and warm sesame, and sold for cooking as culinary or food-grade argan oil to distinguish it from the unroasted cosmetic version.
Avocado oil3 options	Oil made from avocados with mild, buttery flavor and high smoke point, used in cooking and salad dressings.
Bacon drippings6 options	Rendered fat from cooked bacon with smoky, salty flavor, used in cooking and seasoning.
Black seed oil6 options	Black seed oil, also sold as nigella oil, kalonji oil or black cumin seed oil, is the dark, unrefined oil cold-pressed from Nigella sativa seeds, and it tastes strongly of what it is made from: peppery and oniony up front, with a herbal oregano-thyme edge and a genuinely bitter finish.
Browned butter6 options	Browned butter, also called brown butter or beurre noisette, is butter cooked past melting until its water has boiled away and its milk proteins have toasted to a deep amber, which turns a mild dairy fat into something that smells and tastes of hazelnuts, toffee and roasted milk.
Butter for oil5 options
Canola oil3 options	Neutral-flavored oil made from rapeseed, used in cooking, baking, and frying.
Caul fat6 options	The thin, lacy membrane of fat from around a pig's stomach, known in French kitchens as crepine and also called lace fat or omentum, used as an edible wrapper that holds a forcemeat in shape and bastes it from the outside before melting away almost invisibly as it cooks.

Baking

All 93 cards

Baking ingredients and their substitutes

Baking
Out of	About
00 flour6 options	Italian fine flour with very low protein content, good for making delicate pasta, pizza, and pastries.
Almond bark6 options	A sweet vanilla-flavoured confectionery coating made from sugar, milk solids and vegetable fat in place of cocoa butter, sold in blocks or discs, containing no almonds and, in the vanilla version, no chocolate, and its whole purpose is to melt smoothly and set hard and glossy at room temperature without any tempering.
Almond paste5 options	Sweet, nutty paste made from ground almonds with smooth texture.
Amaretti6 options	Amaretti are Italian almond macaroon cookies made from ground almonds or almond paste, sugar and egg white, sold either crisp and hard as amaretti di Saronno or soft and chewy as amaretti morbidi, with a pronounced bitter-almond flavour.
Baker's ammonia5 options	Baker's ammonia is food-grade ammonium bicarbonate, an old-fashioned chemical leavener sold as hartshorn, hartshorn salt or Hirschhornsalz, which breaks down entirely into gas and water vapour in the oven and so leaves no residue at all in the finished cookie.
Baking chocolate6 options	Baking chocolate is chocolate sold in a scored bar or block for melting into recipes rather than for eating, and unless the label says otherwise it means unsweetened 100% chocolate, which is pure cocoa solids and cocoa butter with no sugar at all.
Baking powder5 options	A dry blend of baking soda, one or two powdered acids and a little starch, which releases carbon dioxide on its own as soon as it gets wet and again in the oven's heat; only about a quarter to a third of the tin is actually baking soda.
Baking soda6 options	Sodium bicarbonate, a pure base sold as a fine white powder, which releases carbon dioxide only when it meets an acid, and which also raises the pH of the batter around it.
Bamboo fiber6 options	Purified cellulose milled from bamboo stalks into an almost weightless, tasteless white powder, and its job in a keto or low-carb dough is pure physical bulk: it fills the space wheat flour would have occupied and soaks up water, without contributing net carbohydrate, flavor, browning or lift.

Peppers

All 45 cards

Pepper varieties and substitutes

Peppers
Out of	About
Aji charapita6 options	Aji charapita is a pea-sized round yellow chili from the Peruvian Amazon, usually sold fresh, dried or as a paste, and known for sharp fruity heat and a strong citrus aroma.
Aji dulce6 options	A small, wrinkled Caribbean pepper, sold as ajicito or cachucha, that looks and smells like a habanero but carries almost no heat, added by the handful to Puerto Rican and Cuban sofrito for its floral perfume rather than for spice.
Aji limo6 options	Aji limo, also sold as aji limon, limo chile or limo pepper, is a small habanero-family chile from coastal Peru with sharp heat and a lemon-peel aroma, and it is the chile minced into real ceviche and leche de tigre.
Aji mirasol6 options	Aji mirasol is the sun-dried form of the Peruvian aji amarillo chile, sold as leathery deep-orange pods or as aji mirasol powder, and it gives aji de gallina, carapulcra and Peruvian adobo their golden colour and raisiny, fruity heat.
Aji panca6 options	Aji panca, sold as dried aji panca, panca chile or aji panca paste, is a dark burgundy Peruvian chile used dried, and it is barely hot at all, tasting instead of berries, raisins and mild smoke.
Aleppo pepper paste6 options	A thick, brick-red Syrian condiment made from ripe Halaby peppers that are salted and slowly reduced, often in the sun, so it works in a dish as sweet fruity pepper flavor plus deep red color, body and a good deal of salt rather than as a chile heat source, and it turns up in muhammara, kebab mixes, stews and marinades.
Anaheim pepper6 options	Anaheim peppers are mild, elongated peppers with a gentle heat level (500-2,500 SHU) and slightly earthy flavor. They're good for roasting, stuffing, and Southwestern dishes. When you need a substitute, consider the heat level, shape, and cooking method to find the best alternative.
Ancho chiles6 options	Dried poblano peppers with a mild, sweet flavor and smoky notes, used in Mexican and Latin American cooking.
Ancho peppers3 options	Dried poblano peppers with mild heat and fruity flavor, used in Mexican cooking.

Pasta & noodles

All 93 cards

Pasta and noodle substitutes

Pasta & noodles
Out of	About
Acini de pepe6 options	Small, round pasta similar to couscous, used in soups and salads.
Agnolotti6 options	Agnolotti are small filled pasta parcels from Piedmont, made by folding a strip of thin egg dough over spoonfuls of filling and cutting between them into rectangular pillows, traditionally stuffed with braised meat rather than cheese.
Angel hair pasta6 options	The thinnest long dried wheat pasta commonly sold, known in Italy as capellini or capelli d'angelo, about a millimeter thick and cooked in two to three minutes, which suits it to light oil and broth sauces and makes it collapse under heavy ones.
Banh canh noodles6 options	Banh canh are thick, short Vietnamese soup noodles made from tapioca starch, or from a blend of tapioca and rice flour, which gives them a bouncy, slippery chew and makes them shed starch into the broth as they cook.
Biang biang noodles7 options	Biang biang noodles are very wide, thick hand-stretched wheat noodles from Xi'an, slapped against the counter and torn into belt-like ribbons an inch or two across, closely related to hand-pulled noodles and knife-cut dao xiao mian.
Bigoli6 options	Bigoli, also spelled bigoi in Venetian dialect, are long, thick, extruded strands of pasta from the Veneto, traditionally pushed through a hand press called a bigolaro that leaves the surface unusually rough and porous.
Bucatini6 options	Bucatini, also sold as perciatelli, is a thick long dried pasta from central Italy with a narrow hole running the length of each strand, named for the Italian buco, meaning hole.
Campanelle6 options	Campanelle is a short pasta rolled into a small hollow cone with a frilled, ruffled edge, and it is also sold as gigli or riccioli.
Cannelloni6 options	Cannelloni are large smooth pasta tubes that are filled with meat or ricotta, laid in sauce and baked, and they are frequently sold oven-ready.

Nuts & seeds

All 43 cards

Nuts, seeds, and seed-based ingredients

Nuts & seeds
Out of	About
Acorn flour6 options	Milled from acorns that have been leached of their tannins and dried, and is sold as acorn meal or as dotori garu in Korean shops; its job in a recipe is flavour rather than structure, bringing a tan colour and a nutty, faintly bitter-sweet earthiness, but with no gluten and almost no starch it always leans on another flour to hold a bake together.
Almond butter3 options	Spread made from ground almonds, used as a nut butter alternative and in baking.
Almonds4 options	Tree nuts with a mild, sweet flavor, commonly used in baking and cooking.
Amlou6 options	Amlou, sometimes called amlou beldi, is a Moroccan breakfast spread from the Souss region made by grinding toasted almonds with culinary argan oil and honey into a loose, pourable nut butter.
Black sesame paste6 options	Black sesame paste, sold as kurogoma paste, black sesame butter or black tahini, is toasted unhulled black sesame seeds ground to a slate-grey paste, sweetened in the Japanese and Chinese dessert versions and unsweetened when labelled as black tahini.
Black sesame seeds6 options	Black sesame seeds, called kurogoma in Japanese, are unhulled sesame seeds with their dark seed coat left on, which gives them a deeper, faintly bitter roasted flavour and a dramatic charcoal colour that hulled white sesame does not have.
Brazil nuts7 options	Brazil nuts, known in Portuguese as castanha-do-para, are large curved nuts from an Amazonian rainforest tree, with a very high fat content that gives them a soft crumbly bite and a rich creamy flavour with a faint musky edge.
Candlenut6 options	Candlenuts, known as kemiri in Indonesia and buah keras in Malaysia, are waxy cream-coloured tropical nuts that are always cooked and are ground into spice pastes to thicken them and give them body.
Cashew butter5 options	Creamy spread made from ground cashews, used in cooking, baking, and as a spread.

Flavorings

All 37 cards

Flavoring extracts and essences

Flavorings
Out of	About
Almond extract6 options	Concentrated flavoring made from almonds, used in baking and desserts.
Anise extract6 options	A small bottle of concentrated liquorice-scented flavouring in an alcohol base, made from anise seed or star anise oil and used a teaspoon or two at a time to give Italian and northern European Christmas cookies their sweet liquorice aroma. It contributes scent only and nothing structural, so no dough depends on it to bake correctly.
Banana extract6 options	Banana extract is a small bottle of concentrated banana aroma in an alcohol base, almost always built on isoamyl acetate rather than real fruit, and it is used a teaspoon at a time to give a bake the intense banana-candy smell that real bananas cannot supply.
Bitter almond extract6 options	Bitter almond extract, sold in Scandinavia and Germany as bittermandel or mandelessens, is a highly concentrated flavouring built on benzaldehyde that carries the marzipan and cherry-pit aroma several times more strongly than ordinary almond extract.
Black walnut extract6 options	Black walnut extract, also labelled black walnut flavouring or essence, is a strong flavouring made from the American black walnut, a native nut with a far more earthy, winey and slightly bitter flavour than the mild English walnuts sold in supermarkets.
Brandy extract6 options	Brandy extract is a small bottle of concentrated brandy flavouring, usually imitation, used about a teaspoon at a time to give a bake the warm oaky fruit-and-vanilla aroma of brandy without pouring in a spirit.
Butter extract6 options	Concentrated flavoring extract that provides butter flavor without dairy, used in baking and desserts.
Butterscotch extract6 options	Butterscotch extract is a small bottle of concentrated flavouring built around the aroma of brown sugar cooked in butter, and it is used about a teaspoon at a time to give a bake that toffee-and-cream character without cooking a caramel.
Caramel extract6 options	Caramel extract is a small bottle of concentrated flavouring that carries the aroma of cooked sugar, and it is used about a teaspoon at a time to make a bake taste of caramel without adding the sugar, cream or moisture that a real caramel sauce would.

Meat & protein

All 199 cards

Meat and protein substitutes

Meat & protein
Out of	About
Alheira6 options	Alheira is a pale horseshoe-shaped Portuguese smoked sausage filled with bread, garlic, olive oil, paprika and shredded poultry or mixed meats rather than being mostly ground pork fat, which makes its interior soft and almost creamy when cooked.
Alligator6 options	A pale, dense, very lean meat sold in Louisiana and Florida markets as gator meat and usually as tenderloin cut from the tail, eating somewhere between chicken breast and firm white fish, with a springy chew and almost no flavor of its own, so it is the seasoning and the crust doing most of the work.
Andouille sausage3 options	Spicy, smoked sausage from Louisiana, used in Cajun and Creole cooking.
Baby back ribs6 options	The butcher's name for the short curved ribs cut from the top of the pig's rib cage next to the loin, also sold as back ribs, loin ribs or pork back ribs, with a full rack weighing about 1.5 to 2 pounds; they are the leanest and fastest-cooking ribs on the pig, which is why swapping in another rib mostly means changing the cook time.
Bacon bits6 options	Bacon bits are small dry shelf-stable crumbles used as a topping, sold either as real cooked and dried bacon crumbles or as imitation bacon bits made from seasoned, smoke-flavored soy protein.
Bacon6 options	Cured and smoked pork with salty, smoky flavor, used in cooking and garnishing.
Bavette steak6 options	Bavette steak, also sold as sirloin flap, flap meat, faux hanger or vacio, is a loose-grained, well-marbled cut from the bottom sirloin near the flank, thin and intensely beefy and meant to be cooked fast and sliced thin.
Beef back ribs6 options	Beef back ribs are the long curved rib bones left behind when a prime rib or ribeye roast is boned out, which means most of the meat has already been sold as steak and what remains is a thin layer between and over the bones.
Beef cheeks3 options	Tender, flavorful cut from the cheek of the cow, used in slow-cooked dishes.

Beverages

All 69 cards

Drinks and beverage substitutes

Beverages
Out of	About
Amazake6 options	Amazake, sometimes spelled amasake, is a thick, cloudy, naturally sweet Japanese rice drink made by holding koji-inoculated rice warm for several hours so the koji enzymes convert the rice starch into sugar, producing a porridge-like sweetness with no sugar added and, in the koji version, no alcohol.
Apple cider6 options	Fresh apple juice with sweet, tart flavor, used in beverages and cooking.
Apple juice5 options	Sweet, fruity juice with mild flavor and smooth texture.
Ayran7 options	Ayran is a chilled savoury Turkish drink of plain yogurt whisked with cold water and salt, sometimes lightly carbonated or finished with dried mint, and closely related to Persian doogh and Indian salted lassi.
Black tea6 options	Fully oxidised leaf from the Camellia sinensis plant, brewed to a brisk amber-to-red infusion, and used in cooking for its tannic astringency, gentle bitterness and brown colour rather than for sweetness or body.
Bloody Mary mix7 options	Bloody Mary mix is a bottled tomato cocktail mix, sold under names such as Zing Zang and Mr and Mrs T, that combines tomato juice with salt, lemon or lime, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, pepper and chilli heat so that only vodka needs adding.
Butterfly pea flower6 options	Butterfly pea flower is the dried blue blossom of Clitoria ternatea, a Southeast Asian vine, and it steeps into a deep indigo caffeine-free infusion used almost entirely for colour, which shifts to violet and then pink the moment anything acidic goes in.
Cascara6 options	Cascara is the dried skin and pulp of the coffee cherry, the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean and is normally discarded at the farm, and it brews into a sweet-tart amber infusion that tastes of raisin, cherry and hibiscus rather than of coffee.
Chai concentrate6 options	A bottled liquid of strongly brewed black tea, warm spices and sugar, sold as chai tea concentrate or chai latte concentrate and meant to be diluted about half and half with milk, so it is carrying three things into a drink or a bake at once: tea tannin, spice warmth and sweetness.

Preserves

All 35 cards

Jams, jellies, and preserves

Preserves
Out of	About
Apple butter7 options	Thick, smooth spread made from slow-cooked apples with spices, used as a spread and in baking.
Apple jelly6 options	Sweet preserve made from apple juice, used in cooking and baking.
Apple pie filling6 options	Canned apple pie filling is sliced apples suspended in a sweet, cinnamon-spiced syrup thickened with starch so it holds its shape when baked, which is why it stays in neat slices instead of turning to sauce.
Apricot preserves7 options	Cooked apricot set with sugar and pectin into a spreadable amber gel that is both sweet and clearly tart, also sold as apricot jam and, in a thicker and darker form, as apricot lekvar.
Atchara6 options	A sweet-and-sour Filipino pickle of shredded unripe green papaya with carrot, ginger, garlic and bell pepper in a sugar-vinegar brine, served in small spoonfuls beside fried and grilled food.
Blackcurrant jam6 options	Blackcurrant jam is small dark blackcurrants cooked with sugar into a thick, almost black preserve that is far more tart and aromatic than most jams, which is why it works as well in sauces for duck and game as it does on toast.
Blueberry jam6 options	Blueberry jam is blueberries cooked with sugar and usually a little lemon until thick and spreadable, mild and mellow rather than sharp, with the wild blueberry versions tasting more intense than jam made from big cultivated berries.
Candied lemon peel7 options	Candied lemon peel, also sold as candied lemon rind or lemon succade, is strips of lemon rind blanched to draw out the bitterness and then simmered in sugar syrup until translucent, chewy and sweet.
Cherry pie filling6 options	Cherry pie filling is a canned or tinned product of whole pitted cherries suspended in a thick, glossy, sweetened sauce already set with cornstarch or modified starch, ready to spoon straight into a crust without any further cooking.

Seasonings

All 84 cards

General seasonings and spice blends

Seasonings
Out of	About
Accent seasoning6 options	A US brand of pure monosodium glutamate, sold as Ac'cent flavor enhancer, a fine white crystalline powder shaken into savoury food to make it taste deeper, rounder and more finished without making it taste much saltier.
Al pastor seasoning6 options	Al pastor seasoning, also sold as al pastor marinade mix or adobada seasoning, is a Mexican blend of dried guajillo and ancho chillies with achiote (annatto), Mexican oregano, cumin, garlic, cloves and black pepper, used to marinate the spit-roasted pork in tacos al pastor.
BBQ dry rub6 options	A dry seasoning mix for grilled and smoked meat, sold as barbecue rub, rib rub or all-purpose BBQ rub, built on brown sugar and salt with paprika, black pepper, garlic and onion powder and usually a little chilli and mustard powder.
Beef base6 options	Concentrated beef flavoring paste, used in soups, stews, and sauces.
Beef bouillon base3 options	Concentrated beef flavor base used in cooking and as a seasoning.
Beef bouillon concentrate3 options	Concentrated beef flavor concentrate used in cooking and as a seasoning.
Beef bouillon cube3 options	Concentrated beef flavor cube used in cooking and as a seasoning.
Beef bouillon granules3 options	Concentrated beef flavor granules used in cooking and as a seasoning.
Beef bouillon liquid3 options	Concentrated beef flavor liquid used in cooking and as a seasoning.

Fruits

All 109 cards

Fresh and dried fruit substitutes

Fruits
Out of	About
Acai6 options	Acai is the pulp of a small dark purple palm fruit from the Amazon, sold outside Brazil as frozen unsweetened puree packets or as freeze-dried powder, and it is barely sweet, faintly earthy and unusually high in fat for a fruit.
Amarena cherries6 options	Amarena cherries, amarene sciroppate, are small dark Italian sour cherries preserved whole in a thick sugar syrup, best known from the blue-and-white Fabbri jar and used as a dessert garnish and cocktail cherry.
Apple6 options	Crisp, sweet fruit used in cooking, baking, and snacking.
Apricot6 options	Sweet, soft stone fruit with a slightly tart flavor, commonly used in desserts, preserves, and savory dishes.
Asam gelugur6 options	Asam gelugur is the sun-dried slices of the sour Garcinia atroviridis fruit, also spelled asam gelugor and sold as asam keping or dried garcinia slices, dropped whole into curries and soups to make them sour.
Asian pear6 options	Crisp, sweet pear with apple-like texture, commonly used in Asian cuisine and salads.
Avocado6 options	Creamy fruit with mild, nutty flavor, used in salads, dips, and spreads.
Banana6 options	Sweet, yellow fruit with soft texture, used in baking, smoothies, and as a natural sweetener.
Baobab powder6 options	The naturally dry, chalky pulp of the baobab fruit sieved into a pale cream-coloured powder that tastes sharply tart with a faint caramel and citrus note, sometimes sold as monkey bread fruit powder.

Cheese

All 77 cards

Cheese varieties and substitutes

Cheese
Out of	About
Akkawi cheese6 options	A soft white cow's milk cheese from the Levantine city of Akka, also spelled ackawi or akawi, sold packed in salty brine, mild and slightly squeaky when raw, and used wherever a dish needs gentle milky saltiness and a clean stretchy melt, above all in knafeh and cheese manakish.
Anthotyro6 options	Anthotyro, also spelled anthotiro or anthotyros, is a fresh Greek whey cheese made by reheating whey with a little added milk, giving a soft, moist, mildly sweet cheese that is sold either fresh and spoonable or salted and dried hard for grating.
Areesh cheese6 options	Areesh cheese, also transliterated karish or qarish, is the Egyptian fresh cheese made by draining naturally soured skimmed milk, giving a soft, crumbly, very low-fat curd that is mildly sour and barely salted.
Asiago cheese6 options	Italian hard cheese with nutty, slightly sharp flavor, used for grating and melting in Italian dishes.
Ayib6 options	Ethiopia's fresh curd cheese, also spelled ayibe or iab, made by warming soured milk until it separates and then draining it to a soft, fine, crumbly curd; it is barely salted on purpose, because its job on the plate is to cool the heat of berbere and mitmita rather than to add flavour of its own.
Beaufort cheese6 options	Beaufort is a large firm cooked-curd cow's milk cheese from the Savoie Alps, dense and slightly elastic with a deep nutty, fruity flavour and a distinctive concave rind, and it is a classic fondue and gratin cheese.
Bergkaese6 options	Bergkaese, meaning mountain cheese and written Bergkase or Bergkaese in English, is a family of firm Alpine cow's-milk cheeses from Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland, made in large wheels from the milk of summer pasture and aged for months into something dense, nutty, savoury and slightly sharp.
Beyaz peynir7 options	Beyaz peynir, meaning Turkish white cheese and often labelled Turkish feta or ezine cheese, is a fresh brined cheese made from sheep, goat or cow milk that is salty, mildly tangy, creamy and firm enough to crumble but too fresh to melt smoothly.
Bread cheese6 options	Bread cheese, known in Finland as juustoleipa or leipajuusto, is a mild fresh cheese baked or broiled until the surface chars in patches, which stays firm and squeaks against your teeth instead of melting when heated.

Seafood

All 120 cards

Fish and seafood substitutes

Seafood
Out of	About
Abalone6 options	Abalone, known as awabi in Japan and paua in New Zealand, is a large single-shelled sea snail sold live, dried, or most often canned, prized for a dense springy foot of meat with a clean, mildly sweet ocean flavour.
Aligue (crab fat)6 options	The rich orange fat and roe scooped from crabs, most famously the tiny river crabs called talangka, sold as a thick paste in jars labelled taba ng talangka or crab fat, and it works as fat, deep orange stain and concentrated shellfish sweetness all at once.
Amberjack6 options	Amberjack is a large, warm-water game fish with dense, firm, mildly sweet flesh and enough natural oil to survive a hot grill, sold in the US Gulf and Atlantic as greater amberjack and farmed in Japan as kanpachi for sashimi.
Arctic char6 options	A cold-water fish in the same family as salmon and trout, often sold simply as char or alpine char, with pale pink-orange flesh that tastes milder than salmon and a little richer than trout.
Bangus (milkfish)6 options	Bangus is milkfish, the national fish of the Philippines, a large silver fish with sweet, oily, soft white flesh and a famously dense network of fine bones, sold fresh, butterflied and deboned, or salted and marinated as daing na bangus.
Barramundi3 options	Australian fish with mild, sweet flavor and firm texture, used in cooking and seafood dishes.
Basa6 options	Basa, sold interchangeably as pangasius, basa fillets, river cobbler or swai, is a cheap farmed Mekong catfish supplied as thin boneless white fillets with soft, faintly sweet, very mild flesh and a high water content.
Belacan6 options	Malaysian and Singaporean shrimp paste, also spelled blacan, sold as a hard, dry, brick-like block of salted fermented shrimp that has to be toasted before it goes into a dish, where it supplies deep savoury funk and most of the salt.
Black cod6 options	A very oily deep-water North Pacific fish properly called sablefish, also sold as gindara or butterfish and not a cod at all, whose high fat content gives it silky, buttery, almost custard-like flesh that falls into big velvety flakes.

Legumes

All 40 cards

Beans, lentils, and legume substitutes

Legumes
Out of	About
Adzuki beans6 options	Adzuki beans, also spelled azuki or aduki and sometimes called red mung beans, are small russet-red beans with a thin skin and a mild, chestnut-sweet flavour, used across East Asia in both sweets and savoury dishes.
Anasazi beans6 options	An heirloom Southwestern dry bean, mottled maroon and white in the bag and turning an even pink-brown once cooked, with thin skins and mildly sweet, creamy flesh; it is also sold as cave beans or New Mexico Appaloosa beans.
Baked beans6 options	Baked beans are small white beans, usually navy beans, cooked in a sweet tomato-and-molasses sauce and sold canned, either as thick American Boston-style beans or as the thinner, barely sweet British version.
Black-eyed peas5 options	Small, creamy white beans with a distinctive black spot, popular in Southern cuisine and New Year's traditions.
Black lentils6 options	Black lentils are tiny, round, glossy dark lentils sold as beluga or caviar lentils because they look like fish roe, and they cook in about 20 to 25 minutes while staying firm and separate.
Brown lentils7 options	The everyday supermarket lentil, a small flat khaki-brown pulse with the skin left on, sometimes labelled Spanish brown lentils or simply lentils, and it is the workhorse pulse that holds its shape in soups, dal and salads while still cooking through from dry in 20 to 30 minutes.
Butter beans6 options	Large, creamy white beans with mild, buttery flavor, used in cooking and salads.
Cannellini bean5 options	A large white kidney bean with thin skin and a creamy, almost buttery interior - cannellini beans are the white beans in minestrone, pasta e fagioli and Tuscan bean soups.
Chana dal6 options	Split chickpeas with nutty, earthy flavor, used in Indian cooking and dals.

Soups

All 19 cards

Soup bases and broth substitutes

Soups
Out of	About
Avgolemono6 options	Avgolemono, meaning egg-lemon, is a Greek finishing mixture of beaten eggs and lemon juice that is tempered with hot broth and stirred back into a soup or sauce, where it thickens and brightens at the same time.
Beef consommé6 options	Clear, concentrated beef broth that has been clarified and reduced for intense flavor.
Cheddar cheese soup6 options	Creamy condensed soup with cheddar cheese flavor, used in casseroles and sauces.
Chicken consommé6 options	Chicken consommé is chicken stock that has been clarified until it is clear and reduced until the flavour is concentrated, sold canned as condensed chicken consommé or made from scratch.
Court bouillon6 options	Court bouillon is a quick aromatic poaching liquid of water with wine or vinegar, sliced onion, carrot, celery, herbs, peppercorns and plenty of salt, simmered briefly and then used to gently cook fish, shellfish and vegetables.
Cream of chicken3 options	Creamy soup base made with chicken stock and cream, used in cooking and casseroles.
Cream of mushroom soup6 options	Creamy soup made from mushrooms and cream, used in cooking and as a base.
Cream of onion3 options	Creamy soup made with onions and cream, used as a base for casseroles and sauces.
Cream soup6 options	Creamy soup base used in casseroles and sauces, typically condensed.

Liquids

All 5 cards

Liquid ingredients and substitutes

Liquids
Out of	About
Broth6 options	Flavorful liquid made from meat, vegetables, or bones, used in cooking and soups.
Fish broth6 options	Flavorful liquid made from fish bones and vegetables, used in cooking and soups.
Olive brine7 options	Olive brine, sold on its own as olive juice or martini olive juice, is the salty liquid from a jar of brine-cured olives: water, a great deal of salt, a little acid and dissolved olive flavour.
Pasta water6 options	Starchy water left over from cooking pasta, used to thicken sauces and add flavor to pasta dishes.
Pickle juice6 options	Pickle juice, also called pickle brine or dill pickle juice and known as rassol in Russian kitchens, is the seasoned liquid left in a jar of pickles: water, salt, either vinegar or the lactic acid of fermentation, plus dill, garlic and pickling spices.

Thickeners

All 12 cards

Thickening agents and substitutes

Thickeners
Out of	About
Achi (soup thickener)6 options	Achi is a pale, nutty-smelling flour ground from the seeds of the West African Brachystegia tree, used in Nigerian cooking purely to thicken soups.
Agar agar8 options	Plant-based gelling agent made from seaweed, used as a vegan substitute for gelatin in desserts and cooking.
Citrus fiber6 options	A pale, fluffy, almost flavorless powder milled from the pulp and peel left over after oranges and lemons are juiced, also sold as citrus fibre, orange fiber or under the brand name Citri-Fi, and its job is to thicken, hold water and keep a sauce from splitting.
Clear Jel6 options	Clear Jel, also written ClearJel, is a modified cornstarch made from waxy maize that thickens fruit fillings into a glossy, clear gel and holds that thickness through high heat, acidity, freezing and long storage.
Flour roux5 options	Cooked flour and fat mixture used as a thickening agent with smooth texture.
Gelatin3 options	A flavorless setting agent made from animal collagen, usually pork or beef, that dissolves in warm liquid and then, as it cools, builds a protein mesh that turns the liquid into something sliceable which melts again at body temperature.
Guar gum5 options	Natural thickening agent with neutral flavor and smooth texture.
Konjac flour6 options	The milled root of the konjac plant, sold as konjac powder, konjac gum, glucomannan, glucomannan powder, konnyaku flour or elephant yam flour, and almost pure soluble fiber that thickens liquid at astonishingly small doses.
Locust bean gum6 options	Locust bean gum, also sold as carob bean gum or LBG and labelled E410, is a mild off-white thickening powder ground from the seeds inside carob pods, used mainly in ice cream and gluten-free baking to hold water and keep texture smooth.

Fermented

All 23 cards

Fermented foods and substitutes

Fermented
Out of	About
Curtido7 options	The sharp shredded cabbage relish served alongside pupusas, also called repollo curtido or Salvadoran cabbage slaw, made with carrot, onion, oregano and often jalapeno and either lightly fermented in brine for a few days or quick-pickled in vinegar, and its job on the plate is acid and crunch cutting through something soft and rich.
Escabeche7 options	Escabeche means two related things: verduras en escabeche, the taqueria jar of carrots, jalapenos and onion briefly cooked and then pickled in vinegar and oil, and the older technique of dressing fried fish or chicken in a hot acidic marinade and letting it rest.
Green olives7 options	Green olives are olives picked before they ripen and then cured in salt brine, which leaves them firm and snappy, briskly salty and faintly bitter, and includes the familiar Spanish Manzanilla, queen and Castelvetrano types.
Kimchi6 options	Kimchi, also spelled kimchee, is Korean fermented vegetables, most commonly baechu kimchi made from salted napa cabbage packed with gochugaru, garlic, ginger and salted seafood, which over days turns sour, fizzy, funky and deeply savoury.
Kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi)6 options	Kkakdugi, also spelled kaktugi, is Korean radish kimchi: dense cubes of Korean radish or daikon salted and then fermented with gochugaru, garlic, ginger and usually fish sauce, so they stay glassy and crunchy while the brine turns sour and spicy.
Kombucha6 options	Kombucha, sometimes just called booch, is sweetened tea fermented with a bacteria and yeast culture until it turns lightly fizzy and tart, leaving a drink that tastes somewhere between cider vinegar, apple juice and sparkling wine.
Pickled garlic7 options	Whole peeled garlic cloves cured in a vinegar brine, usually with a little sugar, until the raw burn is gone and the cloves turn translucent, crisp-tender and sweet-tart, so what it contributes to a dish is acid, gentle sweetness and a firm crunchy bite rather than a hit of garlic.
Pickled ginger6 options	Pickled ginger is young ginger sliced thin and cured in sweetened rice vinegar, sold as pale pink gari or amazu shoga for sushi and as bright red shredded beni shoga for donburi and yakisoba, and it tastes sweet and sharp with only a light gingery heat.
Pickled jalapenos6 options	Pickled jalapenos, sold as nacho slices or as jalapenos en escabeche, are jalapeno rounds packed or simmered in a vinegar brine with carrot, onion and oregano, which softens them, tames the raw green heat and makes them tangy.

Dairy alternatives

All 32 cards

Plant-based dairy substitutes

Dairy alternatives
Out of	About
Banana milk6 options	Banana milk is a sweet, mild dairy-free drink made from banana puree blended with water and usually a sunflower seed or oat base, sold in cartons under names like Mooala banana milk, or made at home by simply blending a ripe banana with milk or water.
Cashew cheese6 options	Cashew cheese is a soft vegan cheese made by blending soaked raw cashews with water, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and usually nutritional yeast, and it appears in recipes as cashew ricotta, cashew mozzarella or cultured fermented cashew cheese.
Cashew milk6 options	Cashew milk is raw cashews blended with water, and because cashews are soft enough to break down completely rather than leaving pulp behind, it needs no straining and comes out the creamiest and most neutral-tasting of the common plant milks.
Coconut cream6 options	Thick, rich cream made from coconut milk, used in vegan cooking and tropical desserts.
Coconut kefir6 options	Coconut kefir is a dairy-free fermented drink made by culturing either coconut milk or coconut water with kefir cultures, which produces a tangy, lightly fizzy liquid that is thick and yogurt-like when made from coconut milk and thin and almost sparkling when made from coconut water.
Coconut milk powder6 options	Coconut milk powder is coconut cream that has been spray-dried into a fine, shelf-stable powder, sold as santan powder, instant coconut milk powder or coconut cream powder and mixed with warm water to make coconut milk on demand.
Coconut milk6 options	Creamy liquid made from coconut flesh, used as a dairy alternative in cooking and baking.
Coconut yogurt6 options	Coconut milk cultured with live bacteria and usually set with a starch or a gum, which makes a thick, tangy, dairy-free yogurt that carries far more fat and far less protein than the dairy kind.
Cool Whip6 options	Non-dairy whipped topping made from hydrogenated oils, used as a substitute for whipped cream in desserts.

Breadcrumbs

All 4 cards

Breadcrumb substitutes

Breadcrumbs
Out of	About
Knoedel bread7 options	Bagged dried white bread cubes sold in Germany and Austria as Knodelbrot or Semmelwurfel, made for one purpose, which is soaking up milk and egg and holding together as a bread dumpling.
Matzo meal6 options	Ground matzo crackers used in Jewish cooking, especially during Passover, with a texture similar to breadcrumbs.
Panko bread crumbs6 options	Light, airy Japanese breadcrumbs with crispy texture, used in cooking and as a coating.
Zwieback6 options	Zwieback is a twice-baked bread rusk, lightly sweetened and enriched, that is baked as a loaf, sliced and then dried in a slow oven until it is completely crisp and faintly golden.

Baking ingredients

All 2 cards

Specialized baking ingredient substitutes

Baking ingredients
Out of	About
Custard powder9 options	Pre-mixed powder containing cornstarch, vanilla, and coloring, used to make instant custard and desserts. Good for Nanaimo bars, Bird's custard, and baking applications.
Dough conditioner6 options	Baking additive that improves dough texture and rise, used in bread making.

Condiments

All 14 cards

Condiment and sauce substitutes

Condiments
Out of	About
Aji amarillo paste6 options	Peruvian yellow chili pepper paste with medium heat and fruity, slightly sweet flavor.
Anchovy paste6 options	Concentrated paste made from anchovies, used to add umami flavor and saltiness to dishes.
Balsamic glaze7 options	Balsamic glaze, also sold as balsamic reduction, balsamic drizzle or glassa di balsamico, is ordinary balsamic vinegar that has been cooked down and sweetened - often with grape must, sugar or a little starch - until it is thick, glossy and syrupy enough to cling to food instead of running off it.
Gochujang6 options	Korean fermented chili paste made from red chili peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt.
Lime pickle6 options	Whole limes cured in salt with chilli, mustard oil and spices until the peel softens and darkens, known in India as nimbu ka achar or lime achar, and it works as a concentrated hit of salt, sourness, heat and bitterness spooned out by the teaspoon to cut through rich curry and plain rice rather than as an ingredient cooked into the dish.
Malt vinegar3 options	Malt vinegar is a vinegar made from malted barley, commonly used in British cuisine, especially with fish and chips.
Mango pickle6 options	Mango pickle, known as aam ka achar in the north and avakaya in Andhra kitchens, is unripe green mango cut in pieces and cured with salt, chilli, mustard, fenugreek, turmeric and asafoetida under a layer of oil, usually mustard oil.
Non-brewed condiment6 options	Non-brewed condiment is the sharp, brown, vinegar-like liquid served in British and Irish chip shops, made from diluted acetic acid with caramel colouring and flavouring rather than being fermented from anything.
Relish3 options	Relish is a condiment made from chopped vegetables, fruits, or herbs preserved in vinegar or brine.

Seeds

All 3 cards

Seed varieties and substitutes

Seeds
Out of	About
Basil seeds6 options	Basil seeds, hat e in Vietnamese and sold as sabja, tukmaria or falooda seeds, are tiny black sweet-basil seeds that swell within minutes in water into slippery dots each wrapped in a clear grey jelly coat.
Flaxseed8 options	Nutritious seed rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein, commonly used as an egg substitute and in healthy baking.
Sesame seeds6 options	The collective name for the small, flat, oil-rich seeds of the sesame plant, sold raw and pale ivory, pre-toasted, hulled or unhulled, or as black sesame, and known in the American South as benne; in a recipe they are there for fine sandy crunch, for toasted nutty aroma, or for both, and almost never for structure.

Eggs

All 8 cards

Egg substitutes

Eggs
Out of	About
Duck eggs6 options	A duck egg is a large, thick-shelled egg with a proportionally bigger, richer yolk and a slightly more viscous white than a chicken egg, weighing roughly 2.5 ounces against a large chicken egg's 2 ounces.
Egg replacer powder7 options	Egg replacer powder is a boxed blend of starches, usually potato starch and tapioca starch with a leavening agent, that stands in for eggs in baking and is sold under names such as Ener-G Egg Replacer, Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer and Orgran No Egg.
Egg wash8 options	Beaten egg, usually thinned with a tablespoon of water, milk or cream, brushed over dough just before baking so its protein and fat dry into a deep golden, glossy skin.
Egg white5 options	The clear part of the egg: about 30 g of nearly fat-free liquid that is roughly 88% water and 11% protein, which is why it whips up to eight times its volume and then sets rigid once it is heated.
Egg yolk8 options	The yellow center of the egg: about 18 g of it, roughly 55% water, 27% fat and 16% protein, and the only part that carries lecithin, the natural emulsifier that lets a yolk hold oil and water together in mayonnaise, hollandaise and custard.
Eggs9 options	About 75% water by weight, with protein in the white that whips into a foam, protein in the yolk that sets firm when heated, and the fat and lecithin that keep a batter smooth, which is why one ingredient can bind, moisten, lift and set all at once.
Quail eggs6 options	Tiny speckled eggs about a fifth the size of a chicken egg, called trung cut in Vietnam, served hard-boiled whole in braises, noodle bowls and sweet che, or fried sunny-side up on banh mi chao.
Salted duck egg6 options	A salted duck egg, called maalat na itlog or itlog na maalat in the Philippines and often sold simply as salted egg, is a raw duck egg cured for several weeks in salt brine or a salt and clay paste, which turns the white firm and intensely salty and the yolk deep orange, dense and crumbly.

Herbs

All 8 cards

Herb substitutes

Herbs
Out of	About
Chervil6 options	Delicate herb with subtle anise flavor, commonly used in French cooking and fines herbes.
Dill weed6 options	Fresh or dried herb with delicate, feathery leaves and mild, anise-like flavor.
Epazote6 options	Aromatic Mexican herb with a strong, distinctive flavor that's earthy, citrusy, and slightly medicinal.
Fines herbes6 options	The classic French blend of four delicate fresh herbs in roughly equal parts, chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon, stirred in at the end of cooking to give eggs, fish and light sauces a burst of fresh green aroma with a faint anise lift.
Herbes de Provence6 options	Classic French herb blend typically containing thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, and lavender, used in Mediterranean cooking.
Lemon basil6 options	Lemon basil is a small-leafed basil with a bright lemon and mint scent and none of sweet basil's anise, known in Indonesia as kemangi or daun kemangi and sometimes sold as hoary basil or Thai lemon basil.
Lovage6 options	Lovage is a tall perennial herb whose leaves, hollow stems and seeds taste like an intensified cross between celery and parsley with a savoury, almost broth-like depth, and it is known in German as Liebstoeckel or Maggikraut because it tastes so much like Maggi seasoning.
Sorrel6 options	Sorrel, known in France as oseille and sometimes called sourgrass or garden sorrel, is a leafy green herb whose arrow-shaped leaves taste sharply sour, roughly like spinach crossed with lemon.

Acids

All 3 cards

Acidic ingredient substitutes

Acids
Out of	About
Citric acid6 options	Natural acid found in citrus fruits, used as a preservative, flavor enhancer, and pH adjuster in cooking and food preservation.
Malic acid5 options	Malic acid, sometimes called apple acid and loosely lumped in with sour salt, is the white powdered acid that gives green apples their tartness and is used in sour candy, sour powders and seasoning blends for a slow-building sourness that lingers.
Tartaric acid6 options	A fine white crystalline food acid that occurs naturally in grapes, used in very small amounts to add clean sourness, to lower the pH of a batter or filling, and to stop sugar syrups and candy from turning grainy.

Flour

All 8 cards

Flour substitutes

Flour
Out of	About
Almond meal6 options	Coarsely ground almonds with skins, used in gluten-free baking and cooking for texture and flavor.
Cassava flour6 options	Gluten-free flour made from ground cassava root (yuca) with neutral flavor and excellent binding properties.
Chickpea flour6 options	Gluten-free flour made from ground chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with a nutty flavor and high protein content.
Macadamia flour6 options	Macadamia flour, also sold as macadamia nut flour, macadamia meal or ground macadamia, is finely milled raw macadamia nuts and is the fattiest and most buttery of the low-carb nut flours.
Peanut flour7 options	Peanut flour, usually sold as defatted or roasted peanut flour, is roasted peanuts pressed to remove most of the oil and then milled into a fine, thirsty powder that is roughly half protein and tastes intensely of peanuts.
Pecan flour6 options	Pecan flour, also sold as pecan meal, pecan nut flour or simply ground pecans, is finely milled pecans and is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate flour with a sweet, faintly maple-like flavor.
Sesame flour7 options	Milled sesame seeds, usually with most of the oil pressed out and sold as sesame flour or defatted sesame flour, giving a high-protein, very low-carbohydrate flour that supplies structure plus an unmistakable toasted tahini flavor.
Sunflower seed flour7 options	Sunflower seed flour, also called sunflower flour, sunflower seed meal or simply ground sunflower seeds, is hulled sunflower seeds milled to a fine powder and used as a nut-free, low-carbohydrate flour.

Substitution tips

2 lists

Measurement4 tips

Start with less of a strong substitute — half, then taste — and top up. You can add but not take out.
Test a swap in one batch before it goes into a double batch.
A swap that changes the liquid (honey for sugar, applesauce for oil) changes the bake time too: check early.
Swap one ingredient at a time, so you know which change did what.

Flavor3 tips

A substitute that does the same job (fat, acid, leavening) matters more than one that tastes the same.
Neutral swaps (vegetable oil, plain yogurt, white vinegar) change the dish least; flavored ones (coconut oil, Greek yogurt, balsamic) show through.
Balance sweet, salty, sour and bitter after the swap: a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt covers a lot.

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