घी · நெய் · ঘি

Dal, rice, roti, vegetables, sweets, chai

पनीर

Curries, rice dishes, snacks

दही · தயிர்

Marinades, sauces, rice dishes, raita

උම්බලකඩ

Curries, sambols, coconut relish. Invisible base flavour

น้ำปลา · nước mắm · patis

Curries, stir fries, soups, salads, marinades, desserts

กะปิ · terasi · belacan · prahok

Curry pastes, sambal, stir fries

น้ำมันหอย · 蚝油

Stir fries, noodles, vegetable dishes

Ikan bilis

Nasi lemak, sambal, broths

Плов · Ош

National rice dish, traditionally cooked in lamb or beef fat

Бульон

Soups, lagman noodles, manti dough, rice dishes

Каймак · Сметана

Garnish on soups, dumplings, salads, bread

Manti, samsa, lagman. "Vegetable" versions often contain small amounts of meat

Crayfish · Écrevisses

Jollof rice, soups, stews, egusi, okra dishes

Panla · Stockfish · Poisson fumé

Soups, stews, pepper soup, ogbono

Shito · Dried shrimp powder

Shito (Ghana's black pepper sauce) contains dried shrimp and fish. Dried shrimp powder goes into stews, rice, and bean dishes across the region

Maggi · Jumbo · Knorr

In almost every cooked dish. Chicken, shrimp and crayfish versions are the most popular. The plain Maggi Star cube is meat-free but check the variant

Poisson fumé · Makayabu

Stews, sauces, rice dishes, leafy vegetable dishes. Used as a base flavour throughout — often invisible

Maggi · Jumbo · Cube Knorr

Almost every cooked dish. Chicken and shrimp versions are most common. Often treated as a condiment rather than an ingredient, so cooks may not mention it

Bouillon de viande

Sauces, stews, rice, beans. "Vegetarian" dishes routinely cooked in meat broth

Viande de brousse

Stews, grilled dishes. Widely consumed and may not be identifiable on sight

Bacalao · Morue

Ackee and saltfish, fritters, stews, seasoning

Stock · Broth

Rice and peas, stews, soups, sauces

Pig tail · Salt meat

Beans, rice and peas, greens, soups

Butter · Carnation

Baked goods, drinks, desserts

だし · 出汁

Miso soup, ramen, simmered dishes, rice seasonings

かつお節

Toppings, broths, seasonings

蚝油 · 蠔油

Stir fries, vegetable dishes, dim sum

猪油

Pastries, fried rice, dumplings

멸치육수 · myeolchi yuksu

The standard base for most Korean soups, stews and noodle dishes. Also used in tteokbokki and sauces

멸치액젓 · 새우젓 · jeotgal

Kimchi (almost all traditional recipes), many banchan, dipping sauces. Any word with jeot or jeotgal means fermented seafood

კარაქი · Масло

Lobio, khachapuri, vegetables, bread. Common in restaurant cooking and finishing

სულგუნი · იმერული

Khachapuri, salads, grilled dishes, stuffed breads

Արգանակ · Бульон

Soups, stews, rice, dolma. "Vegetable" dishes often cooked in meat broth

მაწონი · Мацони

Sauces, soups, marinades, served as a side

Smalec · Сало · Zsír · Sádlo

Fried potatoes, pastries, bread, dumplings

Сметана · Śmietana · Tejföl

Soups, dumplings, potatoes, goulash

Бульон · Bulion

Soups, bean dishes, sauces

Manteca · Grasa

Refried beans, tamales, some tortillas, some rice dishes. A major traditional cooking fat across the region

Caldo de pollo

Rice, soups, sauces, stewed vegetables

Crema · Natilla

Garnish on beans, rice, soups, almost everything

Manteca · Banha de porco

Empanadas, pastries, rice, some bean dishes

Caldo de pollo · Caldo de frango

Rice, soups, stews, sauces

Crema · Nata · Leche condensada

Dulce de leche, desserts, sauces, coffees

سمن

Rice, pastries, desserts, couscous

سمن بلدي

Tagines, couscous, rfissa, harira. Pungent aged butter used as a base flavour

لبنة

Garnish, mezze, breakfast, wraps

عيران · لبن

Drinks, sauces, marinades. Very common in Turkey and Lebanon

Dagaa · Omena

Stews, bean dishes, ugali accompaniments

Mchuzi wa nyama

Bean stews, rice dishes, sauces

ንጥር ቅቤ

Most Ethiopian dishes, injera toppings, stews

Smör · Smør · Voi

Traditional restaurant cooking, open sandwiches, sauces, baked potatoes. More persistent than the region's vegan reputation might suggest

Gräddsås · Fløtesaus · Flødesovs

Standard with meatballs, fish, potatoes. Cream-based sauces are a default in traditional kitchens. Ask before assuming a sauce is plant-based

Kanelbullar · Wienerbrød

Coffee culture is central. Most traditional pastries (cinnamon buns, Danish pastries) contain butter and egg. Vegan versions increasingly available in cities

Beurre · Butter · Boter

Sauces, vegetables, bread, pastries. Standard cooking fat in French restaurants

Crème · Sahne · Room

Soups, pasta, vegetable gratins, desserts

Schmalz · Griebenschmalz

Traditional bread spread, some pastries, fried foods

Gélatine · Gelatine

Desserts, mousses, some yogurts, sweets

Acciughe · Anchoas

Pizza, pasta sauces, Caesar dressing, tapenade. Often invisible

Parmigiano · Pecorino

Pasta, risotto, pesto, soups, salads. Animal rennet makes both non-vegan

Pasta all'uovo

Fresh pasta, stuffed pasta, lasagne. Always ask if pasta is egg-based

Φέτα · Χαλούμι

Salads, pastries, grilled dishes. Appears in dishes not obviously cheese-based

Manteca

Refried beans, tortillas, tamales, rice. Often used without being mentioned

Chicken broth

"Vegetable" soups, rice, sauces, gravies

Butter

Vegetables, bread, grills, seafood. Often added before serving without mention

Worcester sauce

Caesar dressing, marinades, Bloody Marys, savoury sauces

Honey · Manuka

Health foods, dressings, baked goods, cafes

Fish sauce

Thai, Vietnamese, other Asian cuisines

Milk · Cream

Baked goods, some sauces. Plant milks are widely offered in cafes

Stock · Sous

Potjiekos, stews, gravies, some rice dishes

Ghee · Botter

Bredie stews, koeksisters, traditional curries

Pap · Sadza

Sometimes butter or milk added to maize porridge