Have you ever bought something for your kitchen pantry with the best of intentions, only to let it sit unused for weeks, months, or even years? Maybe it's a bottle of oats you bought to make healthier breakfast choices or a jar of oregano that you thought would revolutionise your cooking. Whatever the case may be, you're not alone.
Recently, we asked Gulf News readers on Instagram to share the one ingredient in their pantry that they regret buying.
Some hilarious responses flooded in, showing how even the most well-intentioned purchases can, sometimes, end up being a waste of space and money.
“Ginger-garlic paste… I hate it,” Gulf News reader @Crismaryjoseph exclaimed in a comment. “I do not know why I keep buying the store-bought; I always end up making my own, fresh."
Cris Mary Joseph, an Indian expat living in Dubai.
"Coconut flour. I bought three packets, and somehow, while kneading, the dough doubled in size. Made a mess out of it, and still some more is left," another reader @Sumera genial wrote.
Sumera Malik is a Pakistani expat currently living in Sharjah.
A food blogger, @KomalFatima commented, "Red chilli powder. If you add little, it gives no taste, but if you add more, food becomes weird."
Komal Fathima is a Pakistani expat living in Dubai.
Turmeric sparked a debate, with one reader regretting the purchase, and others defending it as an essential spice.
Another regretted buying fish sauce, as it had a strong taste that they couldn't get used to.
Even chocolate peanut butter, made it to the list; @sago.sabby wrote, "Chocolate peanut butter. Such a bad flavour combination feels like chewing fine sand."
Shabrin Bellari Gafoor is an Indian expat who currently resides in Dubai.
"Ginger powder. I have had it for ages. I haven't used it. I replaced it with a fresh one," said Nada_younes77. Helping her use it, another user, @sabina s.p., commented: "Add that powder in your tea powder and make your tea."
"Almond flour. Why, oh why! Those macaroons were never going to be made on the premises of the apartment!" replied @msclementine, and multiple users showed their agreement by liking the comment.
"Dried lemons, white pepper powder, Kashmiri tea powder... never turned out good," said Mariya Sheika, a blogger.
Elizabeth Garcia Regalado, who goes by username @egarciar17 on Instagram, replied “rose water” in response to the one ingredient she regrets buying. Multiple users suggested that it makes for an excellent skin toner if she didn’t want to use it for cooking.
Elizabeth Garcia Regalado is a Peruvian expat in Dubai.
Multiple users suggested that it makes for an excellent skin toner if she didn’t want to use it for cooking.
Here’s a list of the most frequently mentioned items in the comments:
- Sugar
- Oat flour
- Corn flour
- Ginger powder
- Rose water
- White pepper
- Oat flour
- Tea powder
- Cheese
- All-purpose flour
- Coconut flour
- Fish oil
- Fish sauce
- Breadcrumbs
- Nutmeg powder
- Pisi lal mirch (ground chilli powder)
- Cocoa powder
- Oregano
- Almond essence
- Orange blossom water
- Pomegranate molasses
- Date vinegar
- Canned tuna
- Rice flour
- Star anise
- Red food colour
- Cinnamon sticks
- Green tea leaves
- Matcha powder
- Jar of pickle
- Date syrup
- Apple cider vinegar
- Kewra essence (screw pine flower extract)
- Yeast
Forgotten oyster sauce
I have always been fond of cooking and enjoy experimenting with different ingredients sometimes. Every time I decide to stock up my kitchen pantry, I end up buy something new to try. For instance, I was once browsing through the supermarket aisles and came across a bottle of oyster sauce. I had heard much about its unique flavour and decided to add it to my basket. Excited about my new purchase, I went home and made chicken and vegetable stir fry to try a few drops of the oyster sauce. But, I quickly regretted. The smell and taste of the oyster sauce was far too overpowering for my liking. I tried to use it in other dishes, hoping to develop a taste for it, but the result was the same each time. It was just too strong.
Eventually, the bottle of oyster sauce ended up sitting unused and forgotten at the back of my pantry. I always felt regret every time I saw the bottle sitting there. I had spent money on something that I never used and could not bring myself to throw it away. In the end, I realised that sometimes it is better to stick to the ingredients that I know and love. From then on, I did my research before buying any new ingredients for my pantry.
