Cooking from other cuisines often comes down to one or two ingredients you don’t already have. A jar of gochujang, a bag of dried chillies or a bottle of fish sauce can be the difference between a dish that tastes right and one that only looks right. Many of these ingredients keep for months, so one purchase covers a lot of meals.
This guide goes through the ingredients that come up across the recipes on World Recipe Club, grouped by cuisine. For each one you’ll find what it is, where to buy it, the closest swap if you can’t, and the recipe on the site that uses it. Moroccan spices, preserved lemon and smen have a guide of their own: see our Moroccan spice guide.
A word on swaps: they get you close, not all the way. If an ingredient is the main flavour of a dish, such as berbere in doro wat or gochujang in a Korean glaze, it’s worth tracking down the real thing.
Where to shop
- Specialist grocers: Ethiopian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Filipino, Indian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Mexican and Latin American shops carry most of these, often fresher and cheaper than supermarkets.
- Large supermarkets: most now stock gochujang, fish sauce, miso, sumac, za’atar, garam masala and chipotle in adobo in their world food aisles.
- Online: almost everything here can be ordered online, including the harder-to-find items like berbere, niter kibbeh and ají amarillo paste.
Ethiopian
Berbere
What it is: Ethiopia’s essential chilli spice blend, usually made with dried red chillies, fenugreek, coriander, cardamom, ginger, cloves, allspice and black pepper. It’s warm and deeply aromatic, and blends vary a lot in heat and salt.
Where to buy: Ethiopian grocers sell excellent berbere. It’s increasingly easy to find in larger supermarkets and online.
Closest swap: there’s no real substitute. In a pinch, mix 2 tbsp sweet paprika, 1–2 tsp cayenne, and ½ tsp each of ground ginger, coriander, fenugreek and cardamom, with a pinch of cloves and allspice.
Used in: Ethiopian doro wat. More in our African recipes.
Niter kibbeh
What it is: clarified butter simmered with aromatics and spices, such as garlic, ginger, fenugreek and cardamom, then strained. It’s the fat that gives many Ethiopian stews their fragrance.
Where to buy: Ethiopian shops sell it ready-made, and some online stores do too. It keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Closest swap: ghee or clarified butter, warmed gently with a little grated garlic and ginger and a pinch of ground fenugreek and cardamom, then strained. Our doro wat recipe includes a short version.
Used in: doro wat.
Indian
Garam masala
What it is: a blend of warm spices, commonly including coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. Unlike most spices in a curry, it’s usually added near the end of cooking, so its aroma stays fresh.
Where to buy: any supermarket. Indian grocers sell fresher, cheaper bags.
Closest swap: a mix of ground cumin and coriander with a pinch each of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Curry powder is a different blend, with turmeric, and isn’t a good replacement.
Used in: chicken tikka masala. More in our Indian recipes.
Kasuri methi
What it is: dried fenugreek leaves. Crumbled between your fingers and stirred in at the end, they give many restaurant-style curries their savoury, slightly bitter, almost maple-like aroma.
Where to buy: Indian grocers and online, in small boxes or bags.
Closest swap: a small pinch of ground fenugreek seed, which is stronger and more bitter. Or leave it out; the curry will still be good.
Used in: chicken tikka masala.
Korean
Gochujang
What it is: a thick, glossy, fermented red chilli paste made with chilli powder, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans and salt. It’s hot, sweet and savoury all at once. Many brands contain wheat, so check the label if you’re cooking gluten-free.
Where to buy: Korean and Asian grocers, and most large supermarkets. Once opened, keep it in the fridge.
Closest swap: there’s nothing quite like it. A little red miso mixed with chilli paste or chilli flakes and a pinch of sugar gets you part of the way. Sriracha gives heat but is thinner and more vinegary.
Used in: the glaze for our Korean fried chicken, and as an option in kimchi fried rice and the bulgogi beef bowl. More in our Asian recipes.
Gochugaru
What it is: Korean red chilli flakes, sun-dried and coarsely ground. They’re bright red, fruity and slightly smoky, with moderate heat, and they’re the chilli in most kimchi.
Where to buy: Korean grocers and online. Store the bag in the freezer to keep the colour bright.
Closest swap: Aleppo pepper or Turkish pul biber, which are similarly fruity and mild. Ordinary chilli flakes are hotter, so use about half as much. Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne also works.
Used in: as optional extra heat in Korean fried chicken and kimchi fried rice.
Black garlic
What it is: whole garlic held at a warm temperature in a humid environment for several weeks. The cloves turn black, soft and sticky, and taste sweet and savoury, with notes of molasses and balsamic vinegar. It’s not Korean in origin, but it suits Korean flavours.
Where to buy: larger supermarkets, delis and online.
Closest swap: roasted garlic mashed with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.
Used in: kimchi fried rice with black garlic.
Thai
Fish sauce
What it is: the clear, amber liquid drained from anchovies fermented with salt. It smells strong from the bottle but cooks into a deep, rounded saltiness. Thai cooks use it the way others use salt.
Where to buy: any supermarket. Thai and Vietnamese brands from Asian grocers are often better and cheaper. It keeps for a long time once opened.
Closest swap: soy sauce, or a vegan fish sauce made from seaweed or mushrooms. Use a little less soy and taste.
Used in: Thai green curry. More in our Asian recipes.
Makrut lime leaves
What it is: the glossy, double leaves of the makrut lime tree, often sold as kaffir lime leaves. They have a strong, perfumed citrus scent.
Where to buy: Asian grocers, fresh or frozen. Frozen leaves are almost as good as fresh, and the freezer is the best place to keep them. Dried ones have little flavour.
Closest swap: a little finely grated lime zest. It gives citrus, though not the same perfume.
Used in: Thai green curry.
Japanese
Miso
What it is: a paste of fermented soybeans, often with rice or barley. White (shiro) miso is young, mild and sweet; red (aka) miso is aged longer and is saltier and stronger.
Where to buy: supermarkets, in the chilled section or the world food aisle, and Japanese grocers. It keeps for months in the fridge.
Closest swap: for white miso, use about half as much red miso. Without any miso, a little soy sauce gives the salty, savoury side, though not the body.
Used in: air-fryer honey miso salmon bites. More in our Asian recipes.
Mirin
What it is: a sweet Japanese rice wine for cooking, used to add gentle sweetness and shine to sauces and glazes. Bottles labelled “mirin-style seasoning” or aji-mirin often contain added sugar or syrup and little alcohol.
Where to buy: supermarkets and Japanese grocers.
Closest swap: sake or dry sherry with about 1 teaspoon of sugar for each tablespoon.
Used in: the tare for our tonkotsu ramen, and as an option in the miso salmon bites.
Filipino
Cane vinegar
What it is: Filipino vinegar made from sugarcane. It’s mellow and faintly sweet compared with Western vinegars. It’s often labelled sukang maasim; sukang Iloko is a darker, fermented style.
Where to buy: Filipino and Asian grocers, and online.
Closest swap: rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Distilled white vinegar is sharper, so use a little less and add a splash of water.
Used in: Filipino chicken adobo. More in our Asian recipes.
Peruvian
Ají amarillo
What it is: a yellow-orange Peruvian chilli with a fruity flavour and medium heat. Outside Peru it’s usually sold as a smooth paste in jars.
Where to buy: Latin American shops and online.
Closest swap: a fresh yellow or orange chilli. For colour without heat, use half a yellow pepper.
Used in: Peruvian lomo saltado. More in our Mexican and Latin American recipes.
Mexican
Chipotle in adobo
What it is: chipotles are ripe jalapeños that have been dried and smoked. Canned in adobo, a tangy, tomato-based sauce, they’re soft and easy to blend, with a smoky, rich heat.
Where to buy: supermarkets and Latin grocers. Once opened, move the leftovers into a jar in the fridge, or freeze them one chilli at a time.
Closest swap: smoked paprika with a pinch of cayenne gives the smoke and heat.
Used in: beef tacos al pastor and the spicier version of Mexican street corn. More in our Mexican and Latin American recipes.
Dried guajillo and ancho chillies
What they are: guajillos are bright, tangy and moderately hot. Anchos are dried poblanos, mild, sweet and fruity. Toasted, soaked and blended, they give a deep red colour and a rounded heat.
Where to buy: Latin grocers and many supermarkets. Choose chillies that are flexible and leathery, not brittle.
Closest swap: pure ground ancho or guajillo chilli powder. American “chili powder” is a blend with cumin and oregano and tastes quite different.
Used in: tacos al pastor, and ground chilli on elote.
Achiote paste
What it is: a paste of ground annatto seeds with spices and vinegar, a speciality of the Yucatán. It’s earthy and slightly peppery, with a strong orange-red colour that stains fingers and boards.
Where to buy: Latin grocers and online, in small blocks.
Closest swap: sweet paprika with a little extra vinegar and a pinch of ground cumin and oregano. The colour will be redder and the flavour less earthy.
Used in: tacos al pastor.
Cotija
What it is: a firm, salty, crumbly cow’s milk cheese from Mexico. The aged version is dry, almost like Parmesan.
Where to buy: Latin grocers and some supermarkets.
Closest swap: feta, which is softer and tangier, or finely grated Parmesan or pecorino.
Used in: Mexican street corn (elote).
Brazilian
Catupiry and requeijão
What it is: Catupiry is a soft, mild, spreadable Brazilian cheese. Requeijão cremoso is a similar, widely sold style.
Where to buy: Brazilian and Portuguese grocers.
Closest swap: full-fat cream cheese.
Used in: Brazilian chicken coxinhas. More in our Mexican and Latin American recipes.
Turkish and Middle Eastern
Biber salçası and pul biber
What they are: biber salçası is a thick paste of sun-dried red peppers, sold as sweet (tatlı) or hot (acı). Pul biber, also called Aleppo-style pepper, is a coarse, oily, fruity chilli flake that’s only moderately hot.
Where to buy: Turkish and Middle Eastern grocers, and online.
Closest swap: tomato paste mixed with paprika for the pepper paste; sweet paprika with a pinch of ordinary chilli flakes for pul biber.
Used in: Turkish red lentil soup (mercimek) and the oven chicken döner. More in our Middle Eastern and Turkish recipes.
Sumac
What it is: the dried, ground berries of the sumac shrub. It’s deep red and tart, with a fruity, lemony sourness, and it’s sprinkled over salads, onions, grilled meat and rice.
Where to buy: supermarkets, and Middle Eastern and Turkish grocers.
Closest swap: lemon zest with a squeeze of lemon juice. You lose the colour but keep the tang.
Used in: the sumac onions served with our chicken döner, and the Levantine-style variation of our chickpea salad.
Za’atar
What it is: both a herb and the blend named after it. The blend usually combines dried thyme or wild oregano with sumac, toasted sesame seeds and salt. It’s herby, nutty and tangy.
Where to buy: supermarkets and Middle Eastern grocers.
Closest swap: dried thyme mixed with toasted sesame seeds, a little sumac or lemon zest, and salt.
Used in: the za’atar and lemon version of our smashed potatoes. More in our Middle Eastern and Turkish recipes.
Spanish and Italian
Pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
What it is: paprika made from peppers dried over oak smoke, sold as sweet (dulce), bittersweet (agridulce) or hot (picante). It’s smoky and rich, and very different from ordinary paprika.
Where to buy: supermarkets and Spanish delis.
Closest swap: ordinary sweet paprika gives the colour but not the smoke.
Used in: Spanish seafood paella. More in our Mediterranean recipes.
Guanciale and Pecorino Romano
What they are: guanciale is cured pork cheek. It has more fat than pancetta, and that fat renders sweeter and more delicate. Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty sheep’s milk cheese.
Where to buy: Italian delis and some supermarkets. Guanciale keeps for weeks in the fridge.
Closest swap: thick-cut pancetta for guanciale; Parmigiano Reggiano for some or all of the Pecorino, for a milder, nuttier sauce.
Used in: Roman carbonara. More in our Italian recipes.
Keeping your pantry in good shape
- Label opened jars and pastes with the date. Most chilli pastes, miso, gochujang and opened curry pastes belong in the fridge once opened.
- Keep dried spices and chillies airtight, in a cool, dark cupboard. Ground spices lose their aroma noticeably within a year; whole ones last longer.
- The freezer is useful for small-use ingredients: makrut lime leaves, gochugaru, leftover chipotles and blocks of achiote all freeze well.
- Read the label for allergens. Gochujang and some soy sauces contain wheat; fish sauce, shrimp paste and many kimchi brands contain seafood; some spice blends contain added salt or sugar.
For storing what you’ve cooked with these ingredients, see our make-ahead, storage and freezing guide.