FOOD NEWS
The Unexpected Ingredient That Will Take Your Chili Up A Notch
By Ashley Reut
Cooler temperatures make you want to bundle up, stay home, and eat something warm and comforting. Chili is a perfect recipe for this and if you're adventurous enough to put uncommon elements in your chili to kick it up a notch, we have the secret ingredient you didn't know your chili needed: fish sauce.
No, your chili won't taste like fish, as long as you don’t add more than you should. Fish sauce is actually really similar to soy sauce and it does a great job of accentuating the meaty flavors in the chili, offering a nice, savory umami kick.
It will also brighten up the beans and can help even sweet flavors (like tomatoes or cocoa) shine in a new and nuanced way. You only need one tablespoon for the whole pot of chili and the fish sauce needs to simmer and cook off for close to 30 minutes in order to transform from fishy to perfectly umami.