Yondu Vegetable Umami
We love finding new “magic” pantry ingredients from around the world that instantly boost flavor, and this Yondu is no exception. Fermented soybeans and a rich stock made from a robust blend of vegetables—including shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic and cabbage—yield a concentrate bursting with umami. Not only will it give you delicious savory vegetarian broth in the blink of an eye, it can also be used as a secret umami boost for everything from marinades to cooked grains. We love how it’s an easy-to-pour liquid (and not a paste, which can be harder to incorporate into dishes) and how deeply savory its flavor is compared to store-bought broths—which can taste too sweet from relying on carrots. It’s wonderfully earthy from alliums and mushrooms, yet remains balanced. And the yeast extract, a popular ingredient for boosting savoriness in vegan dishes (and for creating the distinctive flavor of Marmite), produces an incredibly rich, intensely savory character that complements the Yondu’s complex flavors perfectly.
Trunas Seafood Stock Tablets
These clever tablets manage to contain an incredible amount of flavor in a dime-sized package. The primary flavors are a rich roasted fish and a hint of seaweed, though it’s not as briny as homemade dashi. The tablets yield a meaty broth that really does give you the character of traditional stocks, with plenty of alliums, celery and sweet-earthy carrots. Compared to other fish stock products, this one is much more robust, with a roasted fish flavor that stands out from the pack. The other ingredients give it incredible depth, and it never tips into that dreaded “fishy” realm like some concentrated fish products. Because they are so compacted, these tablets need heat to properly dissolve—just throw them directly into your cooking pot.