Professional and home chefs are pretty passionate about marinades, which are used to tenderize meats while maximizing flavor. Liquid ingredients in a marinade play a strong role in its effectiveness, and various alcohols often enter the marinade discussion for their similarity to acidic marinades in conjunction with other special qualities.

Tannins in beer and wine lend an extra hand in tenderizing meats, while many spirits do the same and bring out the natural flavors of the protein. But there's one boozy ingredient that deserves its own category in the world of marination, and it's vodka, which emphasizes the flavors of ingredients without distracting from them.

Pro chefs use vodka on everything from roasts to seafood and more, and to help increase the aroma of your dish, be sure to cook out about 95% of the vodka's alcohol, suggests North Beach Fish Camp. The outlet also warns to avoid over-marinating, which can lead to loss of texture and color; this is a good rule for all kinds of marinades.