# What one ingredient do you cook with, more than any other? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794 "2016-04-21T06:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/1 "2016-04-21T06:49:07Z")
What one ingredient can’t you live without? For me, it’s onions. I can’t think of one savory dish that I make that doesn’t contain onions. And sometimes LOTS of them. And sometimes more than one type of onion. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/2 "2016-04-21T07:31:36Z")
Probably water. 🙂 Okay, serious answer: you’re asking two very different questions. I have potatoes with many meals, but I don’t think there’s one ingredient without which I couldn’t live. Just the other day I substituted the white bit of a leek for an onion in Sauce Diane and it worked very well. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/3 "2016-04-21T11:59:48Z")
Yeah, thinking about it a bit, I **very** often start out with the onion family in the pan. ETA: re: water. I rarely use water; usually my liquid is a juice, broth, wine, etc. They may all contain water, but just plain water is something I seldom use. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/4 "2016-04-21T12:00:06Z")
Another vote for onions. Soups, crock pot meals, sautéed alone or with mushrooms, battered and fried - pretty much anyway but raw for me. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/5 "2016-04-21T12:17:54Z")
Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/6 "2016-04-21T12:23:54Z")
Mirepoix Would be a better answer than onion, but it is more than one ingredient. Just to split some hair in your soup. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/7 "2016-04-21T12:24:55Z")
Vegemite! ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/8 "2016-04-21T12:29:11Z")
By volume it would be onions, but by occurrences garlic would be tied with onions. I don’t know of anything I cook that includes onions without also including garlic. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/9 "2016-04-21T12:35:06Z")
I was going to say onions, but I almost use onions & garlic together. More onions, though, only because you generally need a smaller amount of garlic. I also thought ‘butter’ but I also use olive oil, canola, or sometimes shortening so that’s probably not right unless you lump them together as ‘fat.’ ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/10 "2016-04-21T12:49:09Z")
Olive oil. ---
**Author:** ![Abner\_Ravenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@Abner\_Ravenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abner_Ravenwood)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/11 "2016-04-21T12:56:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Mirepoix Would be a better answer than onion, but it is more than one ingredient. Just to split some hair in your soup. If mirepoix is on the table, why not go further with a battuto? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/12 "2016-04-21T12:59:23Z")
> [@Abner\_Ravenwood](#): > > If mirepoix is on the table, why not go further with a battuto? Consider my horizons broadened! ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/13 "2016-04-21T12:59:31Z")
Whichever variation of pasta happens to be open. But then, if pasta wasn’t available I’d just do the same with rice. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/14 "2016-04-21T13:05:31Z")
Butter. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/15 "2016-04-21T13:11:52Z")
I have 3 ingredients that are tied for first, depending on how “used most” is measured. Tomato sauce, onion powder, and garlic powder. I like my real onions, too, but I use a lot of the dried stuff in spaghetti sauce and chili. ---
**Author:** ![CheshireKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheshirekat/32/1207_2.png) [@CheshireKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheshireKat)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/16 "2016-04-21T13:22:02Z")
Cinnamon, because every day it goes in my coffee and on my oatmeal. I also add it to cookies, brownies, bread pudding, hot chocolate and some chicken dishes. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/17 "2016-04-21T13:37:59Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > By volume it would be onions, but by occurrences garlic would be tied with onions. I don’t know of anything I cook that includes onions without also including garlic. I’m definitely an onion guy, but I tend to be onions or garlic, not both, for a good number of dishes, especially Italian ones. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/18 "2016-04-21T13:55:16Z")
Onions are kind of an easy answer. Old-time cookbooks used to advise that if you weren’t sure what you wanted to make for supper, you could always start by sauteing some onions. On garlic, meanwhile, my personal view is that if it makes sense to ask the question “should this have garlic in it?”, then the answer is yes. But that’s also kind of an easy one. The most distinctive ingredient I use (that is, one that I use a lot more than most people) is crushed black olives. They add a nice zing to almost any dish. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/19 "2016-04-21T14:00:00Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Butter. Ayup. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2016, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794/20 "2016-04-21T15:24:23Z")
I will say that I am making a (coconut) birthday cake for my wife tonight; so while I will surely use the old staples of butter, flour, sugar and eggs, I will probably leave out the onions and garlic. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-one-ingredient-do-you-cook-with-more-than-any-other/752794.md?page=2)