Hot mayo
this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2026
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Cumin
Thats the taco secret?
Cumin is the secret to everything including life itself. They say pepper is the gold of spices and the choice of kings but those who say that have obviously never come close to experiencing even just the smell of cumin.
Yes cumin is the taco secret but I might be biased
Cumin is the #1 flavour profile in tacos in my experience.
Use it with hot paprika, onion/garlic powder, lime, salsa roja/verde and some pico de gallo and you're in taco heaven.
I make mine with doubled up corn tortillas fried in oil in a pan, and I like to use cheap Italian sausage meat from Costco as the base. I sometimes grill tomato paste into the meat as well.
I make my own popcorn and season it. A few months ago I threw some cumin into the spice mix, and now I add it everytime. Spiced popcorn is really good
Some cinnamon too, just a touch
Ugh I hate cinnamon. Never heard of cumin in that sense tho
You would be surprised how often it is used in chilli, Indian food, etc. You don't use enough to taste like a cinnamon bun, you add enough that it has a subtleness that you can't describe, like nutmeg
I feel like taco essence is independant of meat stuff
99% yes, it's the cumin, though the other flavours complement it.
if you use ketchup/mustard/relish as the comparison then the answer will be salsa and hot sauce. yeah its on the nose because it would be the answer.
Add some MSG to the salsa perhaps? I feel like salsa by itself needs a little more oomph
Dont get me wrong, love me some salsa, just seems like it needs that special extra je ne sais quoi (MSG)
try for more heat maybe? fresh serranos, or a habenero, I have reaper pepper powder that occasionally gets use, thow some hot shit in there.
you seem pretty intent on using msg lol, you should proably try it!
Maybe I will! Hehe
you could say that about ketchup, mustard, and relish though. They all kinda have their own flavor thing and variations and the only commonality is how common they are. I mean you can have sweet or dill relish and dijon or honey mustard and mild or spicey salsa.
Any of those respectively, much less in combo tho wouldnt be accepted as proper taco,Also in combination, they wouldnt scratch that itch
Habanero crema (orange sauce)
continue.
Wat constitutes the crem aspect, is it sour crem?
SPPG
Salt, pepper, (cayenne) pepper, garlic
I overcomplicate things, oftentimes
I'd probably prepare something like this at home:
- tomato paste (basis)
- onions (thickener)
- reduced beef broth (umami)
- lime juice (sourness)
- brown sugar (sweetness)
- seasoning: garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, smoked paprika, hot pepper
Cook everything together, then blend, then keep simmering until it thickens.
I have no idea how authentic your taco would be (my chilli con carne is as fake as my "Chinese seasoning"), but I think it would combo really well.
Onion should be a flavorant (dont know if thats a real word) too, no?
It should be also a flavouring/flavoring agent. But the main point of the onion is as a thickener; that's why tomato sauce recipes ask for onions so often.
They're brothers (like gold and oil)