My Mom’s Secret Ingredient Makes Everything Taste Better

The first time I made one of my mom’s recipes—a stir-fry of tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, and pork spareribs—I wondered why it didn’t taste like the version I’d eaten growing up. It was good, but lacked a certain depth of flavor. This happened every time I recreated one of my childhood favorites, whether braised brisket, tofu and greens, or something as simple as congee. These dishes were staples at my parents’ dinner table. And yet, my renditions always seemed to be missing something. I couldn’t ask my mom—she has Alzheimer’s disease—and no one else in my family was able to help. I chalked it up to nostalgia and taste memories playing tricks on me—until I poked around my parents’ kitchen in Hong Kong.

Opening drawers and cabinets to examine spices and seasonings, I found several containers of Lee Kum Kee Chicken Bouillon Powder. I dipped my finger in for a taste and immediately recognized the rich, deeply savory notes of poultry. That’s when it occurred to me: My mom must have seasoned all her cooking with chicken bouillon powder, and this was the secret ingredient I’d been missing all along.

Made with salt, flavor-enhancing MSG, dehydrated chicken meat, sugar, chicken fat, and yeast extract (plus other additives and flavor enhancers), Lee Kum Kee’s chicken bouillon powder is a quick shortcut for adding umami to whatever you’re cooking. Most Western-style chicken broths and bouillon powders contain aromatics such as onion, garlic, celery, and/or carrot. While these ingredients give the bouillon a sweet, vegetal note that works well with American dishes such as chicken soup and casseroles, that flavor profile doesn’t always suit Chinese cooking.

Because Lee Kum Kee’s chicken bouillon powder doesn’t contain any aromatics, it’s incredibly versatile and can be easily incorporated into a wide range of dishes. I use it to make quick soup bases or sauces for noodles, dumplings, and vegetables, as well as to season and marinate meat. A generous pinch also enhances the flavor of braises, stews, and stir-fries, delivering a potent boost of umami. To prevent my cooking from becoming overly salty, I start with a light hand with other salty ingredients like soy sauce; taste and adjust as I go; and dilute with additional water if needed.

This chicken powder was my mom’s instant upgrade for everything, and now it’s the reason my cooking is almost as good as hers.