The Most Important Cooking Rule Beginners Need To Know, According To Reddit

The internet is great for many things, and learning how to cook is thankfully one of them. Reddit is a particularly good source for budding home chefs looking to expand their skillset. In fact, Redditors have agreed that there is one cooking rule that all beginner chefs should know before they learn the rest.

In the enormously popular Ask Reddit forum, someone posed a question: "Chefs of Reddit, what's one rule of cooking amateurs need to know?" Never one to be silent, professional chefs responded in droves with their advice, and one user's response emerged as the ultimate tip for those who are new to the kitchen. "A lot of the time when people add salt to a dish because they think it tastes flat, what it really needs is an acid like lemon juice or vinegar," the top comment said, and nearly 40,000 people agreed with their upvotes. Seasoning your dishes and layering flavors properly is key to preparing food that tastes like it was made by a professional. A squeeze of lemon juice over a piece of bland fish or a dash of vinegar in your homemade dipping sauce can be that extra touch that helps all of the other flavors bloom.

When you think of acids, your mind probably jumps right to lemon juice and vinegar. And, while these are reliable and versatile acids in the kitchen, there are so many more ways to add acid and adjust the flavor profile of a dish like a pro. White wine creates depth in sauces and seafood, lime juice adds a sparkly zing to many cuisines, and tomatoes can bring a fresh acidity to just about anything they're added to. If straight vinegar feels too harsh for a dish, try making pickled red onions that keep in your fridge for weeks and provide an instant dose of delicious, bright acidity (and not to mention a gorgeous color) to lots of different foods.

Understanding the power of acidity will put you above the rest. But if you're just starting out in the kitchen, focus on nailing some of the basic cooking skills that everyone should know, such as measuring wet and dry ingredients, and knowing when your meat is cooked. From there, you can begin playing around with flavor profiles and mastering the more specific techniques for beginner home cooks, like how to properly glaze or stir-fry. The most important thing with cooking is to enjoy it and be creative, so try things out and see what works for you and your palate. And, when in doubt, see what guidance the Reddit community has to offer.