Dining and cooking outside your comfort zone: 10 spooky ingredients you shouldn’t fear
It’s easy to fall into the rhythm of familiar cooking, reaching for the same sauces, herbs and grains each week. But expanding your palate often means confronting what looks, smells or sounds unappealing. These so-called spooky ingredients—the ones you’d normally scroll past or skip at the market—deserve a second look. Most aren’t frightening at all, just misunderstood or unfamiliar. Once you learn how they behave under heat or seasoning, you’ll see that cooking with spooky ingredients is less about bravery and more about curiosity. The reward is a broader, more interesting kitchen vocabulary.
Read more: 10 essential Thai ingredients for creating Thai dishes at home
Fermented shrimp paste
Shrimp paste often comes in dense blocks or jars and carries a pungent aroma. That reputation makes it one of the classic spooky ingredients. In small doses—it’s strong—mixed with acid and sugar, it can transform a sauce or curry. Use perhaps a quarter teaspoon in a sauce serving four. In many Southeast Asian cuisines, it is foundational: just respect its intensity.
Black garlic
Sweet, umami-rich and unexpectedly mellow, this fermented garlic turns everyday dishes into something quietly complex. (Photo: Pada Smith / Getty Images)
Black garlic is just ordinary garlic fermented under controlled conditions until it becomes soft, jammy and dark. It tastes sweet, umami, almost balsamic. Many worry it will overwhelm, but in fact, it’s gentler than raw garlic. Use it in dressings, mashed into butter or folded into risotto. Start by mixing one clove into cooked rice or grains to see how its mellow character integrates.
Cassava, raw or bitter varieties
Cassava is common in many parts of the world, but its raw form carries cyanogenic compounds, making it dangerous if not handled properly. The chemical risk makes it one of the spookier ingredients, but peeling, soaking, washing and then cooking (boiling or roasting) neutralises the problem. Use it as fries, in stews or as a flour substitute. Start with sweet cassava before venturing into bitter varieties.
Caul fat used as crepinette wrapping
Caul fat is a thin, lacy membrane from around internal organs (in pigs, cows or sheep) that cooks have used for centuries to wrap forcemeats or delicate roasts. Its appearance can be unsettling, but it melts away and keeps the meat moist. Use it to wrap small roasts or vegetable parcels. It handles heat gently and adds no flavour of its own, just texture and moisture.
Mole negro
Mole, which comes from Oaxaca, Mexico, combines chocolate, chillies, nuts, tortillas and spices into a deep sauce that can look near-black. Its complexity intimidates many. But think of it as a stew that rewards slow simmering and patient seasoning. Begin with a trusted recipe and adjust flavours as you learn how each element behaves.
Century egg
Preserved in a mixture of clay, ash and salt, century eggs develop a green-black yolk and translucent amber white. Their sulphurous aroma can make them seem like one of the truly spooky ingredients, but their flavour is earthy and savoury. Slice them into congee or tofu salad. Their richness balances clean or mild bases beautifully.
Sea cucumber
Sea cucumber’s gelatinous texture is often the main obstacle. Its appearance is alien, but its taste is mild, almost neutral. It takes on flavours from braising liquids and stocks, making it a textural component more than a flavour source. Rehydrate, blanch, then simmer gently with soy, ginger and rice wine.
Stink beans, also known as petai
Stink beans are bright green pods popular in Southeast Asia. They have a strong sulphurous aroma that lingers on the breath and in the air for hours. Among spooky ingredients, they stand out for their persistence. Stir-fry them with sambal or prawns, or toss them into fried rice. Their sharp, earthy bite pairs well with chilli heat and citrus.
Blood
Animal blood, often from pigs or ducks, is used in dishes from black pudding to Filipino dinuguan. Its deep colour and metallic flavour can be intimidating. But it’s simply a protein-rich thickener when cooked properly. Combine it with acid (like vinegar) to prevent coagulation, and cook slowly until dark and smooth.
Tuna eyeballs
Roughly the size of a golf ball, tuna eyeballs are a common izakaya item in Japan. Their slippery, gelatinous texture can unsettle new diners, yet they’re mild in flavour and rich in collagen. Simmer them in soy, mirin and sake until tender, or grill them lightly. As spooky ingredients go, they’re more intriguing than frightening once you get past the idea.
Learning to cook with unfamiliar foods can feel like a small act of courage, but it’s also a reminder that taste evolves through exposure. What once seemed strange becomes another tool in your repertoire. Approach these spooky ingredients with respect, not hesitation, and you’ll discover flavours that shift how you think about comfort food itself. In time, the term spooky ingredients might come to mean not things to avoid, but the very ones that keep your cooking alive and curious.
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