Rather than tasting like burnt vegetables, vegetable ash offers notes of char over a unique and decidedly vegetal flavor that is easy to incorporate into home-cooked meals.

While any vegetable works, onions and leeks are ideal for vegetable ash because they char easily and offer a particularly earthy, umami note in the finished product.

To make vegetable ash at home, place your chosen vegetables on a pan and roast them under the broiler. Keep them under the direct heat, turning occasionally, for about an hour.

Once the vegetables are charred, let them cool before grinding them up. Use a food processor to pulverize the charred vegetables until you’re left with a fine powder.

Vegetable ash offers a smoky, umami flavor that pairs well with creamy cheeses like chevre or brie, and it works well when mixed into a glaze for meats.

Another way to amplify vegetable ash’s flavor is to combine it with sea salt. They make a perfect seasoning for meat and fish and add a little something extra to veggies, too.

Vegetable ash also makes a great addition to cocktails. Rim a mezcal cocktail glass with it to emphasize the smoky flavor or turn it into simple syrup for an Old Fashioned.