Seasoning Essentials #1

Knorr Aromat Seasoning

Ok, this is seriously the most important seasoning in my spice drawer. Aromat is a product of Switzerland and is marketed mostly in Europe. Though you may not be able to find this seasoning at your usual shopping spot, you should always be able to find it at your local European grocery store.

I was first introduced to Aromat seasoning during my restaurant days where the chef always had a supply on hand. Now to be honest, I can't read the list of ingredients on the bottle since it is in German and sadly I don't understand it, but I do know for certain that one of the ingredients on the list is MSG. If you are an MSG hater, no need to read further! I understand that there are plenty of people who can not tolerate MSG and if you or someone in your home is one of those unfortunate folks, then stay clear of Aromat! However if you regularly eat in restaurants, chances are you have been exposed to this product often, as it is an essential seasoning in a great many commercial kitchens.

There are a quite few different savory seasonings available out there, but I believe that if I could have only one seasoning in my kitchen this would be it. The "yellow" Knorr Aromat is, as it says on the bottle, a Universal seasoning - meaning it can be used on everything. There is a "red" Aromat specifically for meat, as well as a couple of others for which I don't recall the colors, but one is for roasts and one is, I think, for vegetables.

I buy the yellow, since it is good for everything. I use it in sauces (especially tomato), on hot vegetables and in egg dishes, but mostly I use it on meat because I find it really brings out and compliments the flavor of fish, chicken, beef, lamb, and pork.