Ever see an unexpected ingredient at your local grocery store that just opens the cooking possibilities?

[Michael_in_TX]

One of the things that is supremely irritating about many YouTube cooking videos is that you'll be watching along and increasingly getting eager to try a recipe and the the cook pulls out some exotic ingredient that is ridiculously expensive or impractical to try to obtain, even online. That drives me crazy.

I've really warmed up to Thai food, but I've never been able to find Thai basil locally. (And as all of the YouTube videos say emphatically, no, you can't use regular basil.)

So yesterday while at my local HEB gathering some regular fresh basil was Thai basil! And it was in a regular place with the rest of the fresh herbs, not on a one-off display! I think my jaw dropped. I can now do all those videos I've been putting off!

[Henrik]

Yeah!! Thai basil is a herb of its own. So darn delicious!!!

[HotSun]

Great topic for discussion, Michael_in_TX! I have a few items:

1. Sumac - I have no idea what I wanted to do with this, but I bought a big pouch. Still have no clue what to do with it.
2. Vietnamese fish sauce - I have used this somewhat with some pot roasts, sauces, soups, and some other dishes. It is not fishy, despite the intimidating name (it's fermented anchovies, basically).
3. Chinese five-spice - I bought for a recipe a long time ago that did not turn out quite right, but not sure how else I should use it.
4. Aleppo Flaked Crushed Red Pepper - I'm sure I will use this for kabobs or something.

So yeah, I pick up stuff I may or may not use. We have a great international market (they call it a 'farmer's market', but that is not what it is), lots of stuff from around the globe.

[texastweeter]

I mix sumac, alleppo pepper and melted butter for basting chicken often. Make zaatar with the sumac, use the fish sauce ro chicken or pork lettuce wraps, 5 spice for orange chicken or in a curry.

[HotSun]

Thanks texastweeter, especially for the tips about the sumac and aleppo pepper. I will be grilling or roasting some chicken soon, so I'll give them a try together.

[Dadof3Illinois]

I grow my own Thai Basil every year just for this reason!!!

[LA Pork Butt]

Sometimes I have found Thai Basil plants at gardening centers. They are not hard to grow and will give you a steady supply for little more than the basil costs at the grocery.

[texastweeter]

Lol I got excited when super one had pig tails, and chicken feet.

[Murdy]

We grow Thai basil most years, I think it's available at Lowe's and Home Depot and probably any such store. In fact, we grow a lot of spices because they tend to be easy to grow and buying them fresh gets expensive.

[Dadof3Illinois]

Same here, it's a fraction of the cost to grow vs buy when needed. We plant our herbs all around our landscaping and it loves it!