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Last Updated on June 28, 2021
If you have to make a meal for a special occasion, you may be looking to experiment a little bit to give your dish something to make it really stand out. Fortunately, the sheer amount of cuisines, cooking styles, and spice infusions alone mean there are plenty of ways you can do this today. However, the most straightforward way to do so is to use extra high-quality ingredients that will be highly noticeable in any dish. Here are a few unique, flavourful items you can use to make your next meal that much more special.
Premium Meat
When preparing a dish where meat is a core constituent, the quality and the cut of the meat will go a long way to determining how the meal tastes. Experimenting with a different or unusual cut of meat or style of meat can therefore be a great way of making your dish really pop in comparison with everyday ones. The online premium meat market has seen considerable growth recently, with ostrich, springbok, and wild boar all being widely available and easily accessible options. If you are preparing a meal for guests, however, you may not want to spring for something too obscure, as some of your guests may not necessarily be comfortable with eating crocodile! In these instances, you may instead want to opt for a premium or luxury cut of a more common meat product. Kobe or wagyu beef, for example, are currently highly popular options on this market.
Saffron
As a result of its unique, floral taste and aroma, using saffron as a flavour while baking or in side-dishes can be a simple way of making your dishes more distinctive, exotic, and richer. Because of its status as a labour-intensive crop, it is also one of the more expensive spices to purchase. Saffron should therefore be used sparingly and judiciously. However, this also means that utilising the spice in a dish will make it stand out that much more. Since the real thing can be a bit pricey, you can substitute fresh for ground saffron. You should be aware, though, that the spice can lose its flavour quickly in this form, and may also be adulterated with other ingredients.
Himalayan Salt
Salt is a key seasoning in many meals, as some is often necessary to bring out the full flavour of many savoury dishes. Too much, however, can overpower and ruin your cooking. Regular table or rock salt can add a chemical, synthetic sheen to your meals. This can be frustrating, especially when the rest of your meal largely depends on fresh ingredients. Swapping traditional salt with pink Himalayan salt can therefore be an unorthodox way of seasoning your food that maintains its fresh taste. Using a block of it can also infuse quick-cooking foods, like thin cuts of meat, with a natural salt flavour. However, while many sellers also claim unique health benefits associated with Himalayan salt, there is little scientific evidence that substantiates this.
